A better way of tooth crowning
Prior to the introduction of this dental technology two visits with a wait of about two weeks in between them were needed for a crown to be fitted to a tooth. CEREC ( Ceramic Reconstruction or Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics, to give it its full name) shortens this down to a single dental visit of about an hour. It’s not only crowns that this dentistry revolution can create but also veneers, onlays and inlays.
The Ceramic Restoration Process
If you like gadgets and new technology you’re going to love the way this works. For one thing the often gag reflex inducing dental putty has given way to a high tech computer connected camera to make an impression of your tooth.
Your new tooth is going to be designed with the aid of a 3D model that this camera helps to create. The dental wizardry is only beginning as the next stage is where the old ways of fixing broken teeth just can’t compete. A complex tooth will be created in 30 minutes and its even been known for the creation process to take as little as 6 minutes with an onsite machine milling your tooth out of ceramic.
With the use of CEREC you’ll effectively be halving the time you spend at the dentist with only the one visit needed to fit your crown. Of course a temporary crown is no longer required either.
So why don’t all dentists use CEREC?
It’s a new technology existing under the newly founded discipline of CAD-CAM (Computer Assisted Design, Computer Assisted Manufacture) as such there are still quite a few stalwart dentists who’re happy to carry on doing business the way they have always done. It’s not only resistance to positive dental change that might be keeping CEREC out of your local surgery. For smaller practices costs can be prohibitive with the initial investments needed to buy the tooth milling machine, computers and advanced photography equipment being a barrier to adoption. The additional time needed to train dentists in the use of CEREC is also sometimes an excuse not to use this new technology.
It’s very encouraging to see new technology being used in the field of dentistry. It’s even more positive that new technologies like CAD-CAM dentistry can give us new and better ways to treat our teeth.