Dental technology has had a long line of advances on the road away from wooden teeth and the latest and most exciting of those advances is CEREC. CEREC – which is short for CEramic REConstruction – is a new system by which ceramic crowns and partial crowns can be designed, produced, and used in treatment in a single dental appointment. No follow-ups necessary!
How Does It Work
The process begins when the dentist scans the area that requires work. That scan is transferred to a computer which uses software to design a prosthesis that will fit the patient perfectly. Once the design is complete is transferred to hardware – usually a milling machine or 3D printer – where it is manufactured on the spot. Then the patient has their new crowns inserted. All in a single sitting.
Benefits
The benefits of CEREC are numerous. Due to the nature of the scan no physical imprinting is necessary which means no imprint tray and no jaw pain. The process itself generally takes an hour or so to complete and because there are no additional appointments that means only one injection and no more time spent in the dentist’s chair than necessary.
The ceramic itself is translucent so the dental prosthesis looks like a real tooth and unlike conventional crowns no dark edges are visible once it’s been put in. Additionally ceramic is considered well tolerated so there are extremely few allergic reactions. The hardness of the ceramic also presents a benefit as it is very close to a natural tooth’s, which prevents wear in a way other materials do not.
CEREC is part of a bold future of convenient and effective dental prosthesis and it’s available right now. If you have a cracked tooth or other issue normally solved by a crown or partial crown then CEREC may be the right choice for you. If you need more information or want to make an appointment contact us at Pickering Square Dental today.