Advancements in Dental Technology

Dentistry has always had its eye on technology for any edge in forwarding care for teeth and gums.  Even older inventions like braces, crowns, and false teeth have seen continual updating in materials, techniques and design resulting in the more effective and elegant versions we have today.  Within the last couple of decades however significant advancements have occurred that have continued the forward march of dental health.

Lasers

The word ‘laser’ always feels vaguely futuristic for people of a certain age but the technology is well-proven at this point.  Dental laser treatment is used in a number of ways, from the removal of inflamed gum tissues to easy preparation of cavities for filling.  Laser dentistry has little pain or to no pain, virtually no bleeding, and dramatically less swelling than previous methods.   

Implants

Implants can now be used to fully replace a tooth in a way that allows it to fit naturally and with as much strength as a natural tooth.  Using a titanium implant in the jaw a tooth will be anchored to it.  Once inserted an implant is cleaned exactly the same way your regular teeth are.  You can think of it as a bionic tooth!

CEREC

The latest breakthrough takes a wide range of new technology and puts it to work for your teeth.  Older full and partial crowns would require measurement and custom creation by an outside facility – but CEREC (CEramic REConstruction) allows the entire process to be completed in the dentist’s office in a single sitting.  A high tech 3D scanner is used to get to capture three dimensional views of the affected area – this is then transferred to a computer that creates an appropriate model of the necessary crown.   Using the latest in 3D printing equipment the installation is built from ceramic on-the spot, enabling a perfectly fitting crown in less than sixty minutes.  From days to less than an hour – technology has come a long way indeed.

Dental technology moves ever forward and Pickering Square Dental continues to keep up with the advances in dentistry.  If you need to have these advancements put to work on your teeth, including CEREC, contact us today.

  

What CEREC Can Do For You

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.