CEREC, also called Chairside Economical Restoration using Esthetic Ceramic, is a ceramic reconstruction process that consists of various computer-assisted design (CAD) tools and a milling machine that aids in designing customized restorative devices. The process can be used to manufacture dental prostheses like crowns, veneers, inlays, onlays, etc., and the process includes taking a digital scan of the tooth, making a 3D restoration design, and fabricating the ceramic restoration. The main advantage of the CEREC process is that it enables the fabrication of prostheses in a single dental visit.

What does CEREC involve?

The process of placement of dental crowns starts with a thorough examination of the patient's condition to determine their candidacy for the process. During the traditional method of fabricating crowns, the patient would require to bite into a gooey mass for taking the tooth's impression. This mold is used as a reference for manufacturing the crown in a dental laboratory. The traditional method would typically require a few weeks. During this time, the dentist will give the patient a temporary crown to guard the prepared tooth surface.

However, with CEREC, all of these difficulties and inconveniences are eliminated. In this method, the dentist will employ a digital hand-held scanning tool to scan and produce the teeth's accurate digital impression. The dentist projects the images produced by the scans on a chairside computer screen, views them from various angles, and then sends the data to a computer-aided milling machine to fabricate the prosthesis from a block of dental-grade ceramic. The crowns manufactured using CEREC technology will be highly accurate, offering great fit and aesthetics.

Advantages of CEREC - Same-day crowns

It can be made in a single dental visit without any waiting period.
Unlike conventional crowns, CEREC Same-day crowns don't require the patient to use a temporary restoration while the permanent crown is being manufactured.
Since CEREC technology produces highly detailed images, the crowns fabricated with the technology would be highly accurate, offering perfect fit and contour. Such a crown doesn't typically require many modifications to its shape after retrieving it from the milling machine.
Unlike the conventional method, digital scanning using CEREC technology doesn't need the patient to bite into a gooey mass to make the teeth's digital impression.
We can use CEREC technology to manufacture different types of dental restorations in a single day, thus saving time.
Since the CEREC crowns are fabricated using ceramics, there is no risk of the patient being allergic to any metal.
As CEREC crowns need minimal drilling of the tooth and only a little enamel is removed, they are teeth-friendly.
CEREC crowns are fabricated using the same dental porcelain used to make conventional dental crowns. Hence, its quality, strength, and durability are the same as the traditional crowns and have the same qualities as natural tooth enamel.

Reach out to us at (925) 855-1604 or schedule an online appointment to know more about CEREC crowns.