CEREC (CEramic REConstruction) is a computer aided design system which allows your dentist to make a ceramic restoration such as a dental crown, dental veneer, inlay or onlay during a single patient visit and under their complete control.
The CEREC system was originally developed in 1985 at the University of Zurich, in Switzerland, by dentist Dr. Werner H. Moermann and electrical engineer Dr. Markus Brandistini. The system has been continually improved over the years and is now version six with the latest technology and software. The Omnicam has made delivering to a patient custom made CEREC restorations in one visit even easier.
CEREC is used worldwide in sixty countries and 20 million restorations have been made for patients.
Dr Yasmin George, at Confident Smiles, has embraced this new technology and invested time and training to develop her experience using CEREC to help her patients with a range of dental problems.
The examination and preparation of your tooth is exactly the same as it would be if your restoration were to be made by a dental laboratory. We will examine the tooth and determine the appropriate treatment; then, under local anaesthetic if necessary, prepare your tooth for the restoration, removing decayed and weakened tooth tissue.
Instead of taking an impression of your tooth or teeth to send away to a dental laboratory, however, an 'optical impression' or scan of the prepared tooth is taken using a special camera, to take a three-dimensional digital picture of your tooth. This whole optical impression process takes only a few minutes.
The picture is uploaded from the camera to the computerised design unit where the shape of your restoration is designed by the software to fit exactly. The design is converted into precise instructions for the milling unit, where a small block of ceramic material of the appropriate colour and shade is then milled into the required shape in approximately ten minutes.
Finally we will try the restoration in your mouth to ensure proper fit and bite. The restoration is then polished or glazed and bonded to the prepared tooth. Your tooth is restored with no "temporary" or second visit necessary, all done in a single appointment.
When compared with having restorations made by a dental laboratory, the CEREC system has several advantages:
The ceramic materials used closely match the composition of natural tooth structure, so the response of the restoration and of your natural tooth to hot or cold foods, for example, will be very similar and sensitivity will be minimised. The materials are chemically bonded to the tooth resulting in the tooth being strengthened.
Your dentist is in complete control of the final result - since the restoration is designed and made from start to finish by your dentist, he or she has total control over how it will look and fit.
At Confident Smiles, we will be able to help you find the right treatment depending on your particular concern. If you would like to make an appointment with Yasmin, please get in touch.
