October 5, 2024

CEREC: A New Era in Smile Enhancement 

Extensive dental prostheses or restorations can be time-consuming in today’s busy world. Traditional restorations, whether crowns, inlays, onlays, or bridges, require multiple procedures and a great deal of waiting time.  Currently, CEREC restorations are increasingly popular since they are created in just a single visit. 

The facility for dental care in El Dorado Hills offers high-quality CEREC restorations with excellent durability, in addition to tooth protection. 

What is a CEREC restoration?

Chair-side Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramic, popularly known as CEREC, is an advanced technology used to deliver tooth–colored dental restorations in a single visit. These restorations can be in the form of ceramic crowns, inlays, onlays, or bridges. These are fabricated with a CEREC system that comprises a computer-aided design and manufacturing unit.

The CEREC system consists of three major components:

  • Acquisition device
  • This device consists of a high-quality camera and a medical-grade computer. 
  • It helps to capture digital images of the prepared tooth.
  • 3-D CAD software 
  • This software aids in the evaluation of the prepared tooth from every possible angle. 
  • Milling device 
  • This component is the heart of the system that creates the custom restoration through the specifications entered into the computer. 

What are the advantages of CEREC restorations?

CEREC restorations are often preferred by both dentists and patients owing to the following benefits offered:

  • Your tooth is restored in a single visit on the same day
  • Less time-consuming procedure
  • Requires less drilling, preserving most of your natural tooth structure
  • Provide a perfect fit 
  • It tends to look more natural and more closely resemble the neighboring teeth 
  • Are sturdy and durable
  • Are stain-resistant 
  • Are abrasion-resistant
  • Help you save money by cutting down dental visits

How is a CEREC restoration created?

Getting a CEREC restoration is safe, painless, and involves a single visit. The procedure is as follows:

  • Your dentist will first isolate the affected tooth using a rubber dam to prevent excess moisture. 
  • Several digital images of the affected tooth will be recorded. 
  • These images will be transferred to the computer screen. This helps to create a model for fabricating the CEREC restoration.
  • A ceramic block will be inserted into the milling machine to fabricate the CEREC restoration (crown, inlay, onlay, or bridge). The entire procedure may take around 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Your dentist will extract the restoration from the machine, polish it, and fit the restoration using dental cement.
  • Necessary adjustments will be made to ensure a comfortable bite. 

CEREC may be an excellent option for you if you are looking for a durable, natural-looking restoration without having to wait too long for them. 

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