From Dental Tribune
GOTHENBURG, Sweden: Researchers at Chalmers University of
Technology in Gothenburg are currently developing a method to determine
exactly how a tooth should be ground down in order to attach a dental
crown to it. The method is expected to result in significantly cheaper
and faster treatment, with a reduced risk of patients having problems
with their crowns. Additionally, the researchers have developed 3-D
software for dental students to learn how to grind down teeth.
Between July 2009 and July 2010, 477,060
dental crown treatments were done in Sweden. Chalmers researchers
calculated that the treatments cost more than SEK 1.7 billion (US$258
million), of which a large proportion was paid from tax monies through
dental health insurance. A crown manufactured in a laboratory costs
around SEK 5,000 (US$760).