CAD/CAM Restoration Calculator

Same-day crown cost: equipment, material, and time.

Medical Disclaimer

This calculator is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about your health. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of results from this tool.

Inputs

Material type

Block/disc cost ($)

Number of restorations

CAD design time (min)

Dentist/tech rate ($/hr)

Bur set cost ($)

Restorations per bur set

Overhead (%)

Tab to move between fields

Results

Cost per restoration ($)

$96.36

≈ 6 movie tickets

Total batch cost ($)$96.36

Material cost ($)$30.00

Bur wear cost ($)$2.13

Labor cost ($)$42.00

Overhead ($)$22.24

Milling time (min)12

Design time (min)15

Sintering/firing (hrs)0.4

Active hands-on time (min)27

Shrinkage compensation (%)0%

Material NameLithium Disilicate (e.max)

Total Passive Time (min)24

How to Use This Calculator

Select the Material Type and enter the Block/Disc Cost.
Input the Number of Restorations and CAD Design Time in minutes.
Enter the Dentist/Tech Rate ($/hr) and Bur Set Cost with restorations per set.
Set the Overhead % to capture indirect costs.
Review Cost per Restoration to set competitive in-office milling fees.

How the result changes with Dentist/tech rate ($/hr)

Dentist/tech rate ($/hr)	Cost per restoration ($)
50	$59.96
175	$105.46
325	$160.06
450	$205.56

What each input means

Material type: Select restoration material.
Block/disc cost ($): Cost per milling block or disc (e.max ~$25-45, zirconia ~$15-35, composite ~$12-20).
Number of restorations: Number of crowns, inlays, onlays, or veneers to fabricate.
CAD design time (min): Minutes per restoration for digital design/margin marking (typically 10-25 min).
Dentist/tech rate ($/hr): Hourly rate for the person doing CAD design.
Bur set cost ($): Cost for a diamond bur set (step bur + finishing bur).
Restorations per bur set: Expected bur set lifetime in number of restorations (30-50 typical).
Overhead (%): Equipment depreciation, software license, utilities, etc.

What each result means

Cost per restoration ($): All-in cost per crown/inlay/onlay including overhead.
Total batch cost ($): Total cost for all restorations in this batch.
Material cost ($): Block/disc material cost.
Bur wear cost ($): Prorated milling bur cost.
Labor cost ($): Design + mill supervision labor.
Overhead ($): Allocated equipment and facility overhead.
Milling time (min): Total milling machine time.
Design time (min): Total CAD design time.
Sintering/firing (hrs): Post-mill heat treatment time (zirconia sintering or crystallization firing).
Active hands-on time (min): Total time requiring operator attention.
Shrinkage compensation (%): Milling oversize percentage to compensate for sintering shrinkage (zirconia ~20%).

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Material type = 0, Block/disc cost ($) = 30, Number of restorations = 1, CAD design time (min) = 15 = 8 input(s) provided
Calculate Cost per restoration
Cost per restoration = totalCost / restorationCount
96.36 = $96.36
Calculate Total batch cost
Total batch cost = directCost + overhead
96.36 = $96.36
Calculate Material cost
Material cost = blockCost * restorationCount
30 = $30