Fabrication of ear prosthesis with the integration of CAD/CAM system

Aim: The article aims to describe the technique of designing and fabricating ear prosthesis with the integration of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) versus a conventional method. Background: The use of rapid prototyping for prosthesis fabrication preceded by the generation of ear prosthesis design utilising the computed tomography data of the patient are recent advance technologies. Case description: A 6-year-old boy came with congenitally missing right ear. The healthy left ear was mirrored and printed using the 3-dimensional (3D) printer. Since there was a tissue remnant on the affected side of the patient's ear, the printed ear model was copied in wax. The incorporation of CAD/CAM eliminated the conventional technique involving impression taking of normal ear as a model. Thus, fabrication procedure was simplified, ensuring rapid production. Conclusion: The dimension, shape, and anatomic contour of the ear prosthesis were quite similar to those of the normal ear. This outcome suggested that using the CAD/CAM system to fabricate ear prosthesis from computed tomography data is a practical technique which can be used in a clinical setting. Clinical significance: Rapid prototyping techniques used in this case gave the highest possible level of accuracy in size, shape, and position of the prosthesis. It also decreased the patient appointments and fabrication time compared to the conventional technique.