PATIENT SATISFACTION AND FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES OF CAD/CAM VERSUS CONVENTIONAL DENTURES

Abstract Digital realm prosthodontics has become an enormous area of development in one application of complete dentures. CAD/CAM technology has become a dominant alternative to conventional methods. This paper compares systematically different outcomes and patient satisfaction between those dentures produced by CAD/CAM and those of classical fabrication. In addressing the subject, there is a discussion of contemporary clinical trials, crossover studies, and meta-analyses on comfort, esthetics, masticatory efficiency, adaptation period, and long-term retention. According to the results, CAD/CAM denture offers greater precision compared with the one of conventional fabrication, and patient-reported satisfaction was also higher for CAD/CAM complete dentures about their oral health–related quality of life (OHRQoL). However, this new method is disadvantageous because of accessibility and cost-effectiveness. Here, the review further discusses why the results may differ between populations, digital methods (milled vs. 3D-printed comprehensive), and evaluation instruments. This discussion provides clues for decision-making; namely, when the patient-centered outcomes bear, the CAD/CAM denture provides a potential advantage over traditional dentures. Nonetheless, randomized controlled trials with standardized measures are still foremost to establish long-term effectiveness.