For three years now, it has been possible to find a number of dental CAD/CAM systems. i.e. systems that can produce dental prostheses with robots or computers, on the market. These systems use palpation devices or cameras to make impressions. They either transmit the data to produce the die, the counter die or some intermediate elements directly, or use the possibilities of the computer to reconstruct the most simple pieces or the most complex prostheses on a monitor. In the latter case, CAD/CAM systems--in the full sense of the word--produce a model on a monitor before manufacturing the prosthesis. According to this study, all the systems belong to the same family but their performance as well as their costs and their clinical testing vary considerably. A more detailed analysis would therefore be required. Nevertheless, the CAD/CAM remains the only known prosthetic alternative for the future.