What Is CEREC?
CEREC is a CAD/CAM system (computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing) for dental restorations.
First, Dr. Mandy Grimshaw will use a digital scanner to construct a 3D image of your teeth. This will include the tooth or teeth that have been prepared to receive restorations. She will then design the restorations to fit the prepared teeth.
Next, Dr. Grimshaw sends the design to the computer-controlled mill. She places a block of advanced ceramic inside the mill, and the mill carves the restoration. A polish and glaze give the restoration a beautiful, natural appearance as well as a precise color match.
What CEREC Can Do
CEREC is a very flexible system, and it can make most types of ceramic dental restorations. This includes:
- Inlays
- Onlays
- Crowns
- Dental bridges
- Veneers
Because CEREC can use many different types of ceramics, we can choose ones that are strong enough for the application and beautiful.
Benefits of CEREC
CEREC crowns are completed in just one visit. No second appointments or temporaries are needed.
Durable and natural-looking. CEREC crowns are made from high-quality porcelain that mimics the translucency of natural tooth enamel. Ceramic blocks are available in 17 shades for precision color matching.
Strong and long-lasting. Each crown is milled from a single, solid block of porcelain, making it resistant to cracks and fissures. The traditional method of pressing and layering to create crowns lacks the strength and durability of the CEREC method. Studies show that many CEREC restorations last about 30 years!
Faster recovery time with less tooth sensitivity. CEREC restorations can be used to restore a tooth that has undergone a procedure, such as root canal therapy. Restoring a tooth immediately after a treatment provides protection, resulting in less irritation and prevention of further infection.
Precise and efficient. The CEREC’s computerized system is precise and efficient. A 3D digital image is sent to the automated milling machine, which cuts and shapes the restoration from a single block of ceramic porcelain with accurate computerized mechanisms.
Biocompatible, metal-free materials. CEREC restorations are made of ceramic porcelain that is compatible with your body. Unlike restorations that use metal, there is no mercury or unattractive gray line at the base of the tooth near the gum line.
Natural acting. CEREC crowns are milled from a single block of high-grade porcelain, making them less prone to flaws and cracking, and the porcelain expands in the same manner as natural teeth.
Comfortable Dentistry in Aberdeen
CEREC is just one of many technologies we invest in to improve our patients’ dental experience. We offer many luxuries for our patients, including warm blankets and lavender scented towels. For anxious patients, we offer sedation dentistry or drug-free relaxation dentistry with NuCalm.
Want to learn for yourself what makes Kuhn Dental Associates special? Please call (910) 692-4450 today for an appointment at our office in Aberdeen.