Dr. Gordon Bell of The Center for Dental Excellence is always looking for ways to improve treatment outcomes for his loyal patients. The CEREC system is a type of technology that has been extremely successful in the design and production of dental crowns. Whereas traditional dental crowns require several appointments to plan and place, CEREC crowns can be designed, fabricated and placed in a single visit — saving you valuable time!
What Is CEREC?
Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics, or CEREC, makes it possible to receive a well-fitting, beautiful dental crown and other restorations, like onlays, in one appointment. The system has a CAD-CAM (computer-assisted design/computer-assisted manufacturing) component that helps Dr. Bell design the restoration based on your individual measurements and specifications. The milling unit creates the restoration from a block of top-quality porcelain. After the restoration is ready, Dr. Bell can try it on in your mouth immediately and handle any last-minute adjustments at the same time. You get to go home the same day with your new restoration and a beautiful, healthy smile!
The Process of Getting a CEREC Crown
The first step toward getting a CEREC crown is a complete oral exam, including X-rays, to determine that a crown is the right solution to your needs. An intraoral camera will be used to capture digital images of your affected tooth. The images will be fed into the CEREC software to create a model of your tooth; based on this model, Dr. Bell will design your restoration. Together, you and Dr. Bell will select the shade of porcelain that best matches your surrounding teeth.
The milling unit will create your crown from the block of porcelain based on the digital design. Once it is ready, Dr. Bell will place the crown on your affected tooth and check its fit against your bite. Your crown should complement your surrounding teeth in size, shape and color. If you need him to make any tweaks, he can immediately handle them. When he’s done, he will cheerfully send you off to continue your day!
With the proper care and maintenance, your new crown should last for years.
To learn more about CEREC same-day crowns or the design or placement process, please contact Dr. Gordon Bell and The Center for Dental Excellence.
