An open CAM system for dentistry on the basis of China-made 5-axis simultaneous contouring CNC machine tool and industrial CAM software
China-made 5-axis simultaneous contouring CNC machine tool and domestically developed industrial computer-aided manufacture (CAM) technology were used for full crown fabrication and measurement of crown accuracy, with an attempt to establish an open CAM system for dental processing and to promote the introduction of domestic dental computer-aided design (CAD)/CAM system. Commercially available scanning equipment was used to make a basic digital tooth model after preparation of crown, and CAD software that comes with the scanning device was employed to design the crown by using domestic industrial CAM software to process the crown data in order to generate a solid model for machining purpose, and then China-made 5-axis simultaneous contouring CNC machine tool was used to complete machining of the whole crown and the internal accuracy of the crown internal was measured by using 3D-MicroCT. The results showed that China-made 5-axis simultaneous contouring CNC machine tool in combination with domestic industrial CAM technology can be used for crown making and the crown was well positioned in die. The internal accuracy was successfully measured by using 3D-MicroCT. It is concluded that an open CAM system for dentistry on the basis of China-made 5-axis simultaneous contouring CNC machine tool and domestic industrial CAM software has been established, and development of the system will promote the introduction of domestically-produced dental CAD/CAM system.
Micro-computed tomography evaluation of marginal fit of lithium disilicate crowns fabricated by using chairside CAD/CAM systems or the heat-pressing technique.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
No consensus exists concerning the acceptable ranges of marginal fit for lithium disilicate crowns fabricated with either heat-pressing techniques or computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems.


PURPOSE
The purpose of the study was to evaluate with micro-computed tomography the marginal fit of lithium disilicate crowns fabricated with different chairside CAD/CAM systems (Cerec or E4D) or the heat-pressing technique.


MATERIAL AND METHODS
Lithium disilicate crowns were fabricated to fit an in vitro cast of a single human premolar. Three fabrication techniques were used: digital impressions with Cerec 3D Bluecam scanner with titanium dioxide powder, followed by milling from IPS e.max CAD for Cerec; digital impressions with E4D Laser scanner without powder, followed by milling from IPS e.max CAD for E4D; and fabrication from IPS e.max Press by using the lost-wax and heat-pressing techniques. Each crown was fixed to the cast and scanned with micro-computed tomography to obtain 52 images for measuring the vertical and horizontal fit. Data were statistically analyzed by 1-way ANOVA, followed by the Tukey honestly significant difference test (α=.05).


RESULTS
The mean values of vertical misfit were 36.8 ±13.9 μm for the heat-pressing group and 39.2 ±8.7 μm for the Cerec group, which were significantly smaller values than for the E4D group at 66.9 ±31.9 μm (P=.046). The percentage of crowns with a vertical misfit <75 μm was 83.8% for Cerec and heat-pressing, whereas this value was 65% for E4D. Both types of horizontal misfit (underextended and overextended) were 49.2% for heat-pressing, 50.8% for Cerec, and 58.8% for E4D.


CONCLUSIONS
Lithium disilicate crowns fabricated by using the Cerec 3D Bluecam scanner CAD/CAM system or the heat-pressing technique exhibited a significantly smaller vertical misfit than crowns fabricated by using an E4D Laser scanner CAD/CAM system.
Hill country sheep production. I. The influence of age, flock, and year on some components of reproduction rate in Romney and Border Leicester × Romney ewes.
Data from 7,091 straightbred Romney and Border Leicester × Romney ewes grazed at the Whatawhata Hill Country Research Station over the period 1959 to 1967 have been used to obtain estimates of flock and age-of-ewe effects on reproduction rate and its components and of year-to-year variation. The ewes were from six groups: a Romney control (RCR) flock, a Romney flock in which ewes were mated either to Romney (RER) or to Border Leicester rams (REB), and flocks of first-cross (F1), second-cross (F2), and third-cross (F3) Border Leicester × Romney ewes mated to first-cross Border Leicester × Romney rams. The ewes' ages at lambing varied from 2 to 5 years and no selection was practised. The ratio of number of lambs weaned per ewe present at lambing increased from the RCR (0.84) to the F1 (1.07), then declined with interbreeding to the F2 (0.92) and further to the F3 (0.87) ewes. Similar changes were evident for the percentage of ewes lambing, of multiple births, and of lambs surviving to weaning. Over...