CEREC® Crowns

How does the technology we've invested in help you, our patient?

Chairside Economical Restorations of Esthetic Ceramic (CEREC®) has revolutionized dental procedures. Traditionally, if crowns, onlays, inlays or dental veneers were required to restore damaged teeth, multiple procedures and a great deal of waiting time in-between would be inevitable. CEREC® creates these ceramic restorations within minutes in the dental office. This means that many treatments can be completed in just a single visit.

CEREC® is comprised of several computer-assisted design (CAD) tools and a milling machine that creates custom ceramic restorative devices. CEREC® can benefit almost anyone needing a ceramic restoration. This is of great benefit to nervous patients, and it can also reduce the cost of treatment.

What can this innovation mean for a patient?

Here are some other advantages associated with CEREC®:

• CEREC restorations can be completed in one visit. You walk out with a strong, aesthetic-looking permanent porcelain crown right away; no temporaries and no second appointment.
• Natural-looking. The porcelain used for CEREC restorations has the same kind of translucency as natural teeth. Ceramic blocks come in 17 shades for precise color matching.
• Strong and durable. CEREC porcelain is strong and lasting, even for back teeth. Studies show they last at least as long as metal-filled crowns.
• Natural-acting. Because CEREC restorations are milled out from a single block of porcelain, they are less prone to cracks and flaws. The porcelain also expands in the same way that teeth do.
• Accurate matching. Being able to digitally scan, design, mill and modify the CEREC restoration chairside allows Dr. Patel to create accurately matching and properly positioned crowns.
• All-porcelain, biocompatible. CEREC crowns are milled out of a single block of body-friendly porcelain and do not require any additional material, including metal.

What is the CEREC® system comprised of?

The CEREC® System is sometimes called a CAD-CAM system. CAD-CAM means Computer Assisted Design and Computer Assisted Milling. The CEREC® system has three major components:

Acquisition device: This device is home to a high-quality camera and a medical grade computer. The function of this unit is to photograph the prepared tooth. Three-dimensional images are created of the tooth on the screen, which the dentist uses to design the perfect ceramic restoration.

Three-dimensional CAD software: This software allows the dentist to examine the tooth from every angle. It is the closest possible thing to holding the tooth in the hands and rotating it.

Milling device: This unit actually manufactures the custom restoration from the specifications entered into the computer. A ceramic block that best resembles the existing tooth color is chosen and placed into the unit. Within minutes, the milling device produces the restoration the dentist designed.