Written by Dr. Reza KhazaieDental Crowns While You Wait
Conventional tooth restoration and tooth replacement therapies, such as traditional inlays, onlays, fillings, and dental crowns, are often very involved and time-consuming.
The traditional dental crown procedure, for example, may entail two or more appointments separated by weeks of waiting for the prosthesis to be manufactured at a dental lab before final preparations are ready for fitting.
While patients wait, they must make do with temporary prosthetics. Likewise, some filling procedures, like gold fillings, indirect fillings, and fillings following a root canal, may require patients to schedule additional appointments.
Not anymore!
With today’s latest dental technology, additional appointments, temporary prosthetics, and fillings, as well as the time spent waiting for final dental restorations to be manufactured, are a thing of the past.
A state-of-the-art system designed and developed by Sirona provides dentists with a computer-aided CAD program with manufacturing capabilities (CAM). This system is called CEREC short for Chairside Economic Restorations of Esthetic Ceramics. CEREC makes receiving a dental restoration in-house with your dentist in a single appointment possible.
What is CEREC?
CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramic (CEREC). Translated into plain English, CEREC is a method utilizing computer-aided design (CAM) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) technology for dental restorations. Essentially, a patient’s oral and dental condition is measured digitally. This data is computed and sent to a machine that can fabricate many dental prosthetics on demand. With input from the dentist or a CAD technician, the machine can be ordered to produce a brand-new, custom prosthetic in as little as 30 minutes.
CEREC technology can be applied to a variety of dental restoration treatments such as inlays, onlays, fillings, and crowns.
Benefits of CEREC Technology
The primary benefit of utilizing CEREC technology for a dental restoration procedure is the impressive reduction in time between receiving a restorative dental procedure and receiving the final, permanent prosthetics replacement. Restorative procedures that once required patients to make multiple appointments and often wait weeks for a final, working dental prosthetic to be produced are over.
With CEREC technology, Willow Pass Dental Care patients can receive their final permanent restoration in just one sitting. Likewise, for fillings, digital measurements can be taken of a tooth, including the shape and size of the filling necessary, which can then be fabricated chairside.
The CEREC Technology Process
First, an intraoral camera takes a digital impression of the patient’s oral condition.
Second, a computer builds a virtual model using this digital data.
Third, a fabrication unit uses the virtual model to fabricate the prosthetic.
The fabrication process starts with a block of material, either porcelain ceramic or composite resin, and whittles it down as a sculptor would until a perfect, custom tooth prosthetic is all that remains.
Finally, with the prosthetic hot out of the fabrication machine, Dr. Reza Khazaie or one of the dentists at Willow Pass Dental Care can immediately place it into a patient’s mouth, thus foregoing a traditional second or third appointment. Our team carries out all the steps of the dental restoration procedure, including the design and creation of the dental prosthetic itself – a process that is known as a chairside treatment.
5 Benefits of CEREC for Your Dental Crowns and Tooth Replacements
1. No need for gooey dental impressions
Patients often find dental impressions made using traditional trays filled with alginate material to be uncomfortable. Additionally, manually taking analog impressions is not the most accurate technique, which can lead to inaccurately measured and fabricated dental prosthetics. This can result in significant pain later on.
Fortunately, with CEREC, impressions are taken digitally using an intraoral camera. The digital impressions are then processed digitally on a computer, which can translate the data into a virtual model. These virtual, digital impressions have made analog impressions obsolete.
2. No temporary dental crowns
Gone are the days of having to wear temporary crowns or prosthetics while waiting for permanent dental crowns or restorations. Thanks to advancements in technology, patients can now receive their permanent crown or restoration in just one appointment.
No more need for uncomfortable and unsightly temporary crowns that don’t fit properly and have to be worn for weeks while waiting for the final product to arrive.
3. Exact precision in creating beautiful teeth
When it comes to dental care, precision is key. Patients of Willow Pass Dental Care can have peace of mind knowing that the entire process – from design to manufacturing to fitting – is meticulously calculated using computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology, ensuring accuracy down to the last decimal place.
4. No more metal or amalgam
Dental restorations and prosthetics created using CEREC technology use ceramic or resin composite materials instead of metal. This results in restorations that appear and feel more natural compared to those made with metal.
CEREC fillings, for instance, are all-white and have a very natural appearance. In contrast, traditional amalgam fillings look artificial and can even cause teeth to discolor and leak.
Additionally, restorations made with metal can look fake if the metal is not hidden with great care and precision.
5. No more wait time
Choosing a CEREC procedure offers the advantage of receiving a permanent dental restoration in just one appointment, without waiting for days or weeks.
Patients can expect to have their restorative prosthetic on the same day. At Willow Pass Dental Care, we use computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology to ensure efficient and effective dental restoration results. With this advanced technology, we aim to provide our patients with the best experience and satisfaction using the latest in dental technology.
Ultimately, when it comes to tooth replacement treatments and therapies, the number one difference maker is talent and skill. The best dentists get the best results.
At Willow Pass Dental Care, our patients can rest easy knowing that we have the best qualifications, talent, training, and experience to produce the most beautiful results in cosmetic dentistry.
Contact us today for a consultation about the cosmetic procedures ideal for your personal needs and desires.