Dental advancements in recent years have made some treatments simpler, more convenient, and less painful than in the past. An example of one innovation is using CEREC technology for restorations like crowns, inlays and onlays. Instead of dealing with multiple appointments and temporary fittings, patients get their permanent restoration in a single trip to the dentist.
CEREC, or ceramic reconstruction, uses specialized computer technology and machinery to create restorations. A 3D imaging camera scans the tooth and provides its exact dimensions to a computer that uses CAD technology to design the restoration. Once the highly accurate design is created, the data goes to a milling machine that forms the restoration out of ceramic. In just about half an hour, the restoration is ready to be permanently installed in the patient’s mouth.
What’s the big difference with CEREC technology compared to traditional restorations? It saves a great deal of time! In the past, the complete process could take as long as a month to perform. A dentist would have to prepare the tooth, place a temporary crown while the permanent one was developed in a lab, and then the patient would need to return for another appointment for the final crown placement. So instead of this long and inconvenient process, CEREC allows the whole procedure to take place in a single office visit.
In addition to saving time, CEREC restorations also avoid wearing uncomfortable temporary fittings for any period of time. The attractive and perfectly fitted permanent restoration is immediately placed in the mouth for enjoyment right away. Its ceramic material is natural looking and very durable, and has minimal risk of dislodgement or loss.
CEREC technology allows patients to restore their smiles in one convenient trip to the dentist. Ask if your dentist provides this technology if you need any type of ceramic restoration to complete your smile.
We look forward to seeing you in our Shreveport dental office
CEREC, or ceramic reconstruction, is a technologically advanced way to restore teeth that have been damaged by disease, decay, or trauma. With CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics), a specially trained dental professional digitally scans the area of your mouth that needs treatment and then creates the restoration utilizing a milling machine right in their office. CEREC is an efficient process that saves you time and leaves you with an aesthetically appealing, well fitting, long-lasting restoration.
Any patient who needs reconstruction done to an existing tooth is a potential candidate for CEREC. The technology is used for a variety of procedures, including crowns, bridges and porcelain veneers. CEREC is especially appealing to patients who do not wish to spend extensive time in the dental chair. With traditional restorations, separate visits are required to make impressions, and then to place them once the restorations have returned from being constructed in a dental lab. With CEREC, all of these steps are completed in a single office visit, saving you time and hassle.
If you are deemed to be a candidate for ceramic reconstruction, your CEREC trained dentist will take a 3D image of your tooth to precisely determine the fit of your restoration. They will then utilize the CEREC machine to fabricate a permanent, natural-looking restoration specifically designed for your smile. These custom-milled restorations are both strong, long-lasting, and look and feel completely natural. A CEREC restoration will blend seamlessly with your existing teeth and provide outstanding comfort and function.
To determine if you are a viable candidate for ceramic restorations, consult with a CEREC trained dental professional. In just one dental visit, you can return to a healthy, beautiful smile.
We treat patients from Shreveport and the surrounding area
Certain types of dental restorations have a history of taking multiple steps over a period of time to complete. This has commonly been the case for crowns, inlays, onlays, some veneers and more. Advancements in dentistry have achieved the ability of providing these in a single office visit using CAD/CAM technology.
CAD (Computer Aided Design) and CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) are used in many fields, but were introduced into dentistry in the 1980s. However, experts needed time to improve the technology so that it could be used in actual dental practices. It has now become a reality in helping to create durable, perfectly fitting, and aesthetically pleasing restorations in just a few hours.
This technology begins by taking an image of the tooth and affected area within the mouth. The image is used by the software to develop a virtual restoration, and the data is sent to a milling machine. The milling process allows the CAD/CAM technology to fabricate dental restorations from blocks of porcelain or composite resin. Dentists can even select the exact shade for the restoration so that it looks ideal in the patient’s smile. Once the restoration has been created, the dentist places it in the patient’s mouth and bonds it as necessary to complete the process.
One of the greatest benefits of CAD/CAM technology is that it eliminates the need for a temporary restoration. For example, in past procedures for getting a crown, a temporary crown had to be placed while the final one was fabricated in a dental lab, shipped, and finally placed. Receiving the final restoration in one office visit skips that waiting time. Also, patients don’t have to deal with the hassles of multiple appointments. Another advantage is that CAD/CAM technology provides an exact fit that blends well with the real tooth structure. Patients come away with a comfortable, secure, and attractive smile in one day.
Our dental office is located in Shreveport
More and more people are hearing about CEREC, or ceramic reconstruction, and asking their dentists about this exciting technology. It opens up a whole new way of getting restorations such as dental crowns in a much faster and more convenient method. Instead of having multiple appointments and a temporary crown, patients are able to obtain a perfectly fitting restoration in a single trip to the dentist.
CEREC incorporates advancements in technology in order to serve patients better. A high quality camera is used to take 3D photos that provide very specific measurements of the teeth and mouth. This negates the need for traditional impressions of the mouth. The data is then transferred to a computer with CAD software. It creates an exact design for the restoration, and then the information goes to a milling machine for the final product to be created out of ceramic. These technologies work together seamlessly to provide the patient with a perfect restoration to meet their specific requirements.
Perhaps the most appealing aspect about CEREC to patients is that the process takes only one appointment start to finish. Traditional crown methods could require up to a month for patients to receive their final fitting, making the need for a temporary crown while the permanent one is made. Temporary crowns don’t always fit well, can loosen or slip, and may make for an uncomfortable few weeks. CEREC’s advantage of completing everything in one day saves patients time, anxiety, and discomfort.
Patients also are thrilled with the perfect fit that CEREC crowns provide. The highly accurate technology allows the crown to be exactly what each patient needs for their restoration. There are fewer occurrences of loss or other problems in the future with CEREC, and the ceramic material used closely resemble your natural tooth’s appearance and feel.
More and more dentists are moving to CEREC technology because of the quality of the procedure and high degree of patient satisfaction. Saving a natural tooth is more enticing to patients when the process is as simple as it is with CEREC.
If you need a dentist in Shreveport contact us today
Traditional crowns have been around for many years in dentistry, but CEREC technology is newer to the field. CEREC, or ceramic reconstruction, provides a perfectly fitting and attractive crown in only one visit to the dentist. In just a few hours, you can get your crown from start to finish and be able to enjoy your fully restored smile right away.
If you aren’t convinced yet, here are some reasons to consider using CEREC for your next dental crown:
- Time – Crowns made the traditional way take at least two appointments, and usually require wearing a temporary crown while the final one is made in a lab. CEREC crowns are made in a single appointment and the final restoration is placed the same day, so patients save time making only one trip to the dentist.
- No temporary crowns – CEREC completely eliminates the requirement for temporary crowns.
- Materials – CEREC crowns are made of ceramic, so there are no metals used that might bother patients with allergies.
- Anesthesia – fewer office visits means fewer shots or other types of anesthesia requirements.
- Less tooth impacts – CEREC and its high quality camera images calls for less drilling on your natural tooth than other types of crowns.
- Fewer gaps – CEREC crowns have smaller gaps between the teeth than other crowns. This allows the CEREC crown to fit more closely to the gums and result in fewer crown failures.
- Dentist control – your dentist has full control over the process and shapes your crown right in the office instead of sending the work out to a lab.
- Cost savings – CEREC crowns usually cost about the same as traditional crowns, but cost savings are incurred by spending less gas driving to multiple appointments, not missing as much work, and fewer expenses like child care.
If you need to correct a damaged tooth with a crown, a dentist qualified to use CEREC technology can make your smile look great in a shorter amount of time and with less hassles.
If you need a dentist in Shreveport contact us today
Using a 3D camera and CAD/CAM technology, CEREC creates dental restorations in one office visit instead of multiple trips or temporary fittings. Crowns, veneers, inlays and onlays are made out of ceramic and fits perfectly to renew your smile. So what does this new technology mean to you as a patient?
No impressions
There is no need for trays filled with messy material used to make impressions of your mouth. In the past, this unpleasant process was required for creating restorations but CEREC uses a 3D camera instead. The camera scans your prepared tooth in just a few seconds and sends the data to a specialized computer to design your restoration.
No temporary fittings
Because CEREC restorations are created in a milling machine right there in your dentist’s office, the need for temporary restorations is eliminated. The machine quickly makes your fitting from a solid ceramic block, so the final product is ready to be placed in your mouth immediately instead of wearing an ill-fitting temporary while you wait for your real restoration to be developed in a dental lab.
No waiting
Only one appointment at your dentist means you don’t have to spend extensive time in the waiting room or dental chair, or driving back and forth to multiple appointments.
No metal
Made completely from ceramic, CEREC restorations do not contain any metal. They are biocompatible and tooth-colored, matched to the exact shade you and your dentist choose together, giving you the most appealing look possible in your smile.
No wearing out
CEREC restorations are durable and long-lasting. Studies show that they are at least as durable as gold restorations, which are known to have a long lifespan. Your smile can be healthy and appealing for many years to come as a result of CEREC technology.
If you live in the Shreveport area contact us today
