Nagpur: Considering the upward trend in cases where artificial teeth are needed, the Government Dental College and Hospital (GDCH) on Friday commissioned a state-of-the-art computer assisted design (CAD) and computer assisted milling (CAM) machine. The CAD-CAM centre at GDCH was inaugurated by guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule.Dean of GDCH Sindhu Ganvir said the CAD-CAM centre cost Rs1.5 crore. The machine can scan dental structure of a patient, design the tooth and mill it out of one of the three materials — titanium, zirconium and ceramic — in less than an hour. Ganvir said the procedures through the machine will be affordable even for the people below poverty line as charges are expected to be cheaper compared to those at private hospitals. "We have already sent a rate list to the state's finance department and are expecting a decision from the government by next month," she said.Maxillofacial surgeon Abhay Datarkar said, "The machine is the best in the world and follows the concept of 'tooth in an hour'. It will capture a digital image of a patient's tooth according to his jaw structure and movement and design it in such a manner that it will look like the real one."Prosthodontist Satyam Wankhede claimed that GDCH is the only institute in the state to have a CAD-CAM machine. "We have 17-18 patients on waiting list who would be receiving artificial teeth from this machine. We will start attending to these patients when the rate list is finalized by the government," he said.The state-run institute now requires an automatic slide strainer and a cryostat which cost Rs25 lakh and Rs40 lakh respectively. Datarkar said that these machines are important in oncology and added, "With current procedures, this report is available after 5-6 days of taking tissue samples and only then we can operate. The new machines will give report in 15 minutes during surgery."Officials of GDCH sought financial aid from the state government for infrastructure development of the hospital and urged Bawankule to intervene. Member of Parliament Vikas Mahatme was present during the inauguration programme. Bawankule assured the GDCH team that funding can be increased to Rs2 crore which would cover institute's other projects too.

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