CAD/CAM
Pronunciation: kad-kam
Also written as: CAD/CAM — Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing
Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing; a digital workflow used to design and mill implant prosthetic components with high precision.
Full Definition
CAD/CAM stands for Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing and describes the integrated digital process by which prosthetic components—including abutments, crowns, and implant-supported bridges—are designed in software and fabricated using milling or additive manufacturing equipment. In implantology, CAD/CAM has largely supplanted traditional lost-wax casting for many restorative components, offering improved fit accuracy and material consistency. Editorial convention requires the slash with no spaces (CAD/CAM), and both elements should be capitalised. Authors may incorrectly write 'CAD-CAM' or 'CADCAM'; editors should standardise to the slash form unless a specific style guide dictates otherwise.
Usage
Usage note: Always render with a forward slash and no surrounding spaces: CAD/CAM. Flag hyphenated variants for correction.
In Context
- "All zirconia abutments were fabricated using a CAD/CAM workflow from intraoral scan data." — Materials and methods section
- "The author's use of 'CAD-CAM' was standardised to 'CAD/CAM' throughout the manuscript in line with journal style." — Copy-editing note