The present review provides an up-to-date overview of chairside CAD/CAM materials used in restorative dentistry, focusing on their classification, properties, and clinical applications. If CAD/CAM technology was only an aspiration in the past, a higher proportion of clinics are employing it nowadays. The market is overflowing with biomaterials, and these materials are constantly evolving, making it challenging for practitioners to choose the most appropriate one, especially in correlation with patients’ medical diseases. The evolution of CAD/CAM technology has revolutionized dental practice, enabling the efficient fabrication of high-quality restorations in a single appointment. The main categories of chairside CAD/CAM materials include feldspathic ceramics, leucite-reinforced ceramics, lithium disilicate, zirconia, hybrid ceramics, and acrylic resins. The mechanical, physical, and aesthetic properties of these materials are discussed, along with their advantages and limitations for different clinical scenarios. Factors influencing material selection, such as strength, aesthetics, and ease of use, are also assessed. Ultimately, the guiding principle of dentistry is minimally invasive treatment following the particularity of the clinical case to obtain the envisioned result. Correlating all these factors, a simple, up-to-date classification is required to begin an individualized treatment. By synthesizing current evidence, this comprehensive review aims to guide clinicians in selecting appropriate chairside CAD/CAM materials to achieve optimal functional and aesthetic outcomes in restorative procedures. The integration of digital workflows and continued development of novel materials promise to further enhance the capabilities of chairside CAD/CAM systems in modern dental practice.

Gastric acid exposure produces tooth structure demineralization and dental ceramic degradation. The most affected patients are those who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease, bulimia nervosa, and pregnant women with prolonged severe nausea. In order to protect this kind of patient, the purpose of this study was to determine whether simulated gastric acid exposure leads to microstructural changes in surface topography, hardness, color changes, and translucency of some ceramic materials, which are already on the market. Forty disks (Triluxe Forte, Cerasmart, Enamic and Empress CAD) were analyzed before and after immersion in simulated gastric acid juice, in terms of microhardness, surface roughness, translucency, and surface morphology using scanning electron microscopy. Color change was assessed by using a spectrophotometer based on CIELab parameters and the results showed that, after exposure, ∆E_ab remained under the threshold of acceptability and perceptibility. In terms of microhardness, Cerasmart is the only material that did not undergo changes after immersion. SEM images illustrated observable changes surface topography after acid exposure for all the tested materials. In conclusion, Triluxe Forte suffered the most important changes after simulated gastric acid juice exposure, and Cerasmart proved to be the least affected material.

In the present study are depicted valuable observations for practitioners, obtained from an in vitro study which aims to evaluate the compressive strength of occlusal veneers fabricated from 3 type of restorative materials, before and after 1 month of acidic artificial saliva exposure (pH = 2.939). In this context, 90 extracted human molars were prepared to receive computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) occlusal veneers. The restorative materials considered in this study were: Cerasmart; Straumann Nice and Tetric CAD. The occlusal veneers were designed, milled and cemented with an adhesive dual-cure resin cement. From all the extracted human molars, only sixty specimens were immersed in acidic artificial saliva, for 1 month, at 37 °C ± 1 °C and part of this specimens were also thermo-cycled, between 5 and 55 °C ± 2 °C, before compressive strength test. The results showed a lower compressive strength for both the samples exposed to acidic artificial saliva as well as for the samples exposed to acidic artificial saliva and thermo-cycled. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that after compressive strength, all the specimens non-exposed to acidic artificial saliva, present extensive cracks formation at the surface of the restorations, and after exposure to acidic artificial saliva for 1 month, the surface damage was characterized by longitudinal and profound fractures of the restoration, as well as the fracture of the tooth structure. Between CAD/CAM materials tested, nanoceramic resin shows more favorable fracture patterns, both before and after acidic artificial saliva exposure.

Three ceramic and composite computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) materials from different manufacturers (Cerasmart (CS)—nanoceramic resin; Straumann Nice (SN)—glass ceramic and Tetric CAD (TC)—composite resin) were tested to investigate the biocompatibility and sustainability on human fibroblasts and keratinocytes cells. Each type of CAD/CAM blocks restorative materials with fine and rough surfaces was exposed to an acidic environment for one month. After that, various powders were obtained by milling. In parallel, powders were also prepared from each restorative material, which were not exposed to the acidic environment. The cytotoxic effects were investigated by means of MTT and LDH assays, as well as nitric oxide production on two human normal cell lines, namely, fibroblasts (BJ) and keratinocytes (HaCaT). In addition, the degree of adhesion of fibroblast cells to each CAD/CAM material was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the two samples that were exposed to an acidic environment (CS and SN) induced a reduction of mitochondrial activity and plasma membrane damage as regards the fibroblast cells. A similar effect was observed in TC_fine-exposed material, which seemed to induce necrosis at the tested concentration of 1 mg/mL. No oxidative stress was observed in fibroblasts and keratinocytes treated with the CAD/CAM materials. Regarding the adhesion degree, it was found that the fibroblasts adhere to all the occlusal veneers tested, with the mention that the CS and SN materials have a weaker adhesion with fewer cytoplasmic extensions than TC material. With all of this considered, the CAD/CAM restorative materials tested are biocompatible and represent support for the attachment and dispersion of cells.

Background and aims. Dental veneers have become increasingly required among patients, but little is known about the optical properties of veneers obtained from the same ceramic material through different processing techniques. Methods. In this study we compared the translucency and the opalescence parameters of zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate (ZLS) veneers restorations fabricated through CAD/CAM milling and hot-pressing techniques on the upper central incisor. Eighty specimens divided into 8 groups (n=10) were sectioned (Celtra Duo) and heat pressed (Celtra Press) to obtain 0.8 mm thickness. The optical parameters were calculated from the color difference against different backgrounds. Analysis of variance, one way ANOVA and post-hoc multiple comparison tests were used to evaluate and compare the optical properties of the same material, with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results. The processing method had significant effect on optical parameters. Celtra Duo HT proved to be the material with the highest transparency degree. The hot-pressing technique led to higher opacity than CAD/CAM milling technique. Conclusions. For a bio-mimetic aesthetic prosthetic restoration, the ceramic materials must have the same translucency and opacity as the real tooth. The results of this study revealed that high translucency ZLS obtained through hot pressing technique was the material of choice, as it fulfilled these requirements.

Background/Objectives: Curcuma longa is widely recognized for its antioxidant, antimicrobial, and wound-related biological effects. The present study aimed to compare two extracts prepared from organic turmeric powder (Curcuma longa), using distilled water (CUR-H₂O) and 96% ethanol (CUR-EtOH), in terms of extraction yield, phytochemical profile, antimicrobial activity, and in vitro biological behavior relevant to future oral-health-oriented applications. Methods: The extracts were prepared by maceration followed by ultrasound-assisted processing, concentration, and lyophilization. Their antioxidant potential (AOP) was evaluated by DPPH assay, total phenolic content (TPC) by the Folin–Ciocalteu method, and targeted polyphenolic profile by UHPLC-MS. Antimicrobial activity was assessed by broth microdilution against Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus oralis, and Candida albicans. In vitro biological activity was investigated on HaCaT keratinocytes. Results: CUR-EtOH extract showed a higher extraction yield than CUR-H₂O (5.13% vs. 2.01%), higher AOP (69.54 ± 0.49% vs. 53.35 ± 0.30%), and a higher TPC (163.87 ± 0.32 vs. 78.05 ± 0.28 mg GAE/g dry extract). Consistent with these TPC results, UHPLC-MS revealed a richer targeted polyphenolic profile in CUR-EtOH extract, particularly in terms of p-coumaric and ferulic acid derivatives. CUR-EtOH extract was more active against the tested oral streptococci, especially S. mutans (MIC 10 µL vs. 60 µL for CUR-H₂O), whereas CUR-H₂O extract showed a slightly better antifungal effect against C. albicans (MIC 60 µL vs. 80 µL). In HaCaT cells, CUR-H₂O extract exhibited the more favorable compatibility profile, while CUR-EtOH extract showed stronger cytotoxicity, despite promoting faster wound-gap closure at 10 µg/mL. Conclusions: The extraction solvent strongly influenced both the chemical profile and biological behavior of the turmeric-powder-derived extracts. These findings suggest that solvent selection may be used to tailor the balance between antimicrobial efficacy and epithelial compatibility in future turmeric-powder-derived preparations intended for oral-health-oriented applications.