CEREC
Dalton, GA
CEREC technology allows us to provide you with convenient quality ceramic restorations such as dental crowns or ceramic inlays or onlays. Using advanced computer imaging, design, and manufacturing techniques, we can craft your ceramic restorations while you wait, so you don't have to schedule a second visit or wear a temporary until the final restoration is ready.
What Is CEREC?
CEREC, short for CEramic REConstruction, is a remarkable advance in the design and manufacture of all-ceramic dental restorations, such as dental crowns or tooth-colored fillings. It is a state-of-the-art Computer Aided Design / Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system. CEREC uses three components to create its dental restorations:
- A digital imaging system that constructs a 3-D impression of your mouth. Instead of using plasters to make a physical impression of your teeth, highly reflective optical powder is used to coat your teeth, allowing the camera to pick up the smallest details of the area to receive restorations.
- A CAD terminal that allows Dr. Im to design the restoration right there by your chairside. As he works, the program checks to ensure the fit of the restoration in its intended location, and translates the design into precise instructions for the CAM mill.
- The CAM mill uses a diamond bit to sculpt hybrid ceramic blocks into the precise shape or shapes that Dr. Im designed.
In addition, CEREC uses specially designed ceramic blocks that allow the precisely-manufactured restorations to look great and last a lifetime. According to the longest clinical study yet run, 86% of CEREC restorations were still intact 18 years after placement, making them comparable with lab-manufactured ceramics and even gold crowns.
The Advantages of CEREC
The most important advantage of CEREC is that it is faster than traditional restoration processes. Although designing the restoration can take longer, it only takes fifteen or twenty minutes for the computerized mill to craft the restorations.
CEREC's advanced imaging system can provide data at a microscopic level and allows the dentist to manipulate plans for restorations at the same level. The diamond mill produces the restoration with the same level of precision, which may allow for a better fit, especially if you have bite issues that may make getting a plaster impression challenging. Some people find plaster very distasteful, making the imaging powder a welcome alternative.
Finally, the restorations crafted by the CEREC system are all-ceramic, which means that they have similar luster and physical properties to your dental enamel. They are less likely to result in heat sensitivity or damage than restorations that include metal.
The Disadvantages of CEREC
CEREC's main disadvantage is that the precision-crafting method for designing and producing restorations can get bogged down if too many restorations are necessary. If you need more than a couple restorations made, the time to complete them becomes simply impractical for completing treatment during a single visit.
Another disadvantage is that the quality of restorations produced by CEREC may not be as attractive as those produced by a lab. Although there are many color choices available, they are not the same as those available in the lab, which can be essentially infinite. There are also limitations on the type of material used. For highly visible restorations like porcelain veneers, a dental lab may be your best choice.
Take Advantage of CEREC
If you want to learn whether CEREC is right for you and your dental restorations, please schedule an appointment at Beautiful Smiles by Design in Dalton, Georgia.