If you have ever had to deal with restoring damaged teeth, you’ll probably know that the most popular method these days is called CEREC Crowns. An acronym for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics, CEREC 3D is the latest in cosmetic dental technology.
Using highly advanced equipment, dentists can now digitally photograph your tooth, and send a computer-assisted design to a milling machine. That same machine will then create a custom-fit crown from high-quality material that completely matches the shape and colour of other teeth.
Your damaged tooth can be replaced with a ceramic crown that looks and functions just like a real tooth. This is done in a single appointment with minimal discomfort. One-day crown technology is convenient and produces durable ceramic crowns. Dentists now know that with digital technology, they can make a crown in the office while a patient waits, and that the process takes only an hour or two.
A crown is a cap made to cover a damaged tooth. To prepare for the crown, dentists drill to remove the decayed portion and shape the tooth for the crown. Depending on the dentist and location, a traditional crown can cost $800 to $2,000, and take at least two visits and a wait in between while a lab makes the crown. The CEREC systems, which cost dentists about $100,000 to $130,000, include a computer that takes digital images of the damaged tooth, software to design the crown, and a milling machine.
In September 1985, at the 3D design program at the Zurich Dental School, the first chairside ceramic restoration was placed with the CEREC 1 system by using computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/ CAM) technology.
At the time, it was a revolutionary concept for restorative dentistry that an industrially made ceramic material could be fabricated chairside by using a milling device with the benefits of a direct restorative treatment.
Click here to read more about the history of CEREC crowns.
It is important to note that dentists normally don’t charge more for a one-day crown than a traditional crown partly because the machine saves on lab costs. CEREC crowns are generally covered by dental insurance that covers traditional crowns.
Several studies show restorations made using the computer-assisted systems fit well and have good longevity, particularly compared to lab-made crowns made in dentists’ office.
What are your thoughts on CEREC dental crowns? Do you already have them, how do you like them? We look forward toCerec reading your comments.
If you’re interested, we’ve compiled all the information on our CEREC procedures into a single downloadable ebook. Click on the image below for more details.
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