CEREC® (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics) is a dental procedure that allows dentists to create and place ceramic restorations, such as crowns, veneers, or inlays, in a single visit. Using CAD/CAM technology (computer-aided design and manufacturing), our dentists take a digital impression of your tooth, design the restoration, and then mill it onsite, eliminating the need for temporary crowns or multiple appointments. The result is a faster, more convenient experience for patients, while maintaining high-quality and durable results.
With a history of nearly 20 years, this equipment has helped dentists place over 6 million restorations (a restoration is placed every 20 seconds!). Using metal free materials that are the closest to your natural enamel, CEREC® gives you the highest quality restorative care
CEREC® can benefit almost anyone needing a ceramic restoration. Exceptions include patients who have a prior history of breaking ceramic devices and those with a deep bite. CEREC® devices are proven to last for over 5 years, but recent research indicates that most CEREC® restorations last for more than 10 years.
Additional advantages associated with CEREC® include:
Unlike most dental restorative methods that require more than one visit to the dentist, the CEREC® procedure is done in a single appointment, start to finish. This means fewer injections, less drilling, and less time out of your hectic schedule for dental care. The first step in the procedure is preparing the tooth for the restoration. Depending on your particular case, the dentist will take photos of your affected teeth using one of CEREC’s® two imaging solutions. If using CEREC® Omnicam, the dentist will take several images of the tooth, sending a three-dimensional, colored model to the CEREC® machine. If using CEREC® Bluecam, the dentist will coat the teeth with a contrasting agent before taking images of your teeth.
These images are transposed onto the computer screen, where the dentist will view the tooth from every angle and design the final restoration. When the design is complete, it will be transmitted to the milling unit. The dentist will insert a block of ceramic, matching your tooth color, into the milling machine which will then create the full crown, onlay, inlay, or veneer. Before affixing the restoration to the tooth, the dentist will perform a dry fit to ensure comfort. Once a perfect fit is established, the restoration will be polished and affixed to the tooth with dental cement.
A CEREC® tooth restoration isn't just convenient, it is also healthy. Many years ago, dentists had few options to repair decayed and damaged teeth other than amalgam, gold, and other metals. With CEREC®, our doctors can use strong, tooth colored ceramic materials to restore your teeth to their natural strength, beauty, and function. These materials closely match the composition of natural tooth structure. This means that when you eat hot food and then drink something cold, the restoration and tooth expand and contract at almost equal rates. So, your tooth does not crack, and you can go on enjoying your evening. Also, the materials are chemically bonded to your tooth, so your dentist can save as much healthy tooth tissue as possible while providing you with a dental restoration that strengthens your tooth.
Our dentists utilize state-of-the-art CAD/CAM technology to take precise digital impressions, design custom restorations, and mill them onsite—all in a single visit. This eliminates the need for temporary crowns or multiple appointments.
