Traditional crowns are very effective, but inconvenient to produce. Not only do they take multiple appointments to place, but if they don’t fit right, your dentist in Harrisonburg would need to send it back to the dental lab for modifications. This process only costs you more time and money, even to get a single crown. Luckily, your dentist includes the latest dental technology in his practice, so you can get a dental crown made faster than ever.
This is through CEREC technology. That’s right, your dentist is going digital and making restorations in-house!
What is CEREC?
CEREC stands for chairside economical restorations of esthetic ceramics, or simply ceramic reconstruction. Unlike traditional crowns that would take weeks to get back from a dental lab, CEREC uses software to scan and produce custom dental restorations in a single visit. Your dentist can make crowns, bridges, onlays, and inlays as necessary without the need for outsourcing.
How Does CEREC Work?
Technically, a milling machine is responsible for manufacturing the restorations your dentist needs. However, that’s only one part of the process. When we’re talking about CEREC, we’re actually talking about the software in the computer. It’s this software that uses images of your existing teeth to create your restorations.
Simply put, your dentist uses the machine’s camera to take pictures of your teeth and mouth. Then, the software creates all the measurements needed to produce a restoration. Think of this as an optical impression. Not only does this mean you won’t need to use impression material as often, but you’ll also get a more accurate impression of your mouth overall.
What Technology Does CEREC Use?
CEREC uses 3D photography and CAD/CAM technology to produce your restorations. CAD stands for Computer-Aided Design and CAM stands for Computer-Aided Manufacture. If you’ve had to get an impression redone because it wasn’t accurate enough to produce a restoration, you’ll find the CEREC system to be very beneficial.
Keep in mind that your dentist in Harrisonburg refines the model after it’s approximated the restoration shape. This means they’ll have complete control of it’s design instead of solely relying on what a dental lab produces.
How You Can Get Restorations in a Day
CEREC doesn’t only let dentist produce more accurate crowns. It also lets them create crowns very quickly. In fact, you can arrive needing a dental crown, have the cavity treated, the crown produced, modified, and placed all in the same visit! That means:
- There’s no need to schedule a follow-up appointment
- There’s no need for a temporary crown
- You’ll get a high-quality ceramic crown the same day!
Just because you’re getting a CEREC-made crown doesn’t mean you’ll be compromising on quality. You won’t be able to tell the difference between your restored teeth and the rest of your smile!
Want to use CEREC in Harrisonburg yourself? Schedule an appointment with your dentist today!
About the Author
Dr. Mario DeNicola earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. He loves seeing immediate improvements in his patients’ health and well-being, and CEREC plays a large part in that process. To learn more about his practice, contact him at (540) 432-6616 or visit his website.