Chairside Economical Restorations of Esthetic Ceramic (CEREC®) has revolutionized dental procedures. Traditionally, if crowns, onlays, inlays or dental veneers were required to restore damaged teeth, multiple procedures and a great deal of waiting time in-between would be inevitable. CEREC® creates these ceramic restorations within minutes in the dental office. This means that many treatments can be completed in just a single visit.
CEREC® is comprised of several computer-assisted design (CAD) tools and a milling machine that creates custom ceramic and zirconia restorations. CEREC® can benefit almost anyone requiring crown, bridge, or other types of dental prosthetics.
How can CEREC® benefit me?
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Same-day dentistry with no temporary restorations
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High-quality ceramic and zirconia restorations
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Minimal invasiveness
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Less injections and discomfort
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Fewer dental visits
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Cost effectiveness
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More natural tooth is saved
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Long lasting restorations
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Biocompatible solutions
What is the CEREC® system comprised of?
The CEREC® System is sometimes called a CAD-CAM system. CAD-CAM means Computer Assisted Design and Computer Assisted Milling. The CEREC® system has three major components:
Acquisition device (Primescan): This device functions as a high quality digital scanner and medical grade computer. The scanner creates 3D images of the teeth that are extremely accurate.
Three-dimensional CAD software: This software allows the dentist to design the crown, veneer, or bridge that will eventually be placed in the patient's mouth. Each mouth is different, and no two teeth are the same, and so this software enables the dentist to customize each case down to the finest detail!
Milling device: This unit actually manufactures the custom restoration from the specifications entered into the computer. A ceramic block that best resembles the existing tooth color is chosen and placed into the unit. Within minutes, the milling device produces the restoration the dentist designed.
What does a CEREC® restoration procedure involve?
The first step in the procedure is preparing the tooth for the restoration/crown, done traditionally. A state of the art 3D scanner called the Primescan is then utilized to take a series of highly accurate digital impressions, eliminating the need for traditional impressions of the teeth.
These images are transposed onto the computer screen, where the dentist will view the tooth from every angle and design the final restoration. When the design is complete, it will be transmitted to the milling unit.
The dentist will insert a block of ceramic or zirconia, matching your tooth color, into the milling machine which will then create the full crown, bridge, or veneer. Before affixing the restoration to the tooth, the dentist will perform a dry fit to ensure comfort. Once a perfect fit is established, the restoration will be polished and affixed to the tooth with dental cement.
If you have questions about CEREC® or would like to obtain more information on this innovative technology, please contact our office.