Milling Unit (Dental CAD/CAM)

A milling unit in a dental CAD/CAM workflow is a precision machine that carves dental restorations from prefabricated material blocks according to a digital design. It works with CAD software to receive the 3D model and then uses rotating burs on multiple axes to remove material and produce shapes for crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays, veneers, provisional restorations or implant components.

Milling units vary by size, number of axes and whether they mill wet or dry, and different materials require specific tools and finishing steps such as sintering or polishing. The main benefits are consistent accuracy, faster turnaround compared with fully manual processes, and the ability to support same-day restorations when combined with chairside scanning and design, while limitations include tool wear, material restrictions and the need for post-processing for certain ceramics.