Introduction to CEREC

Imagine you are sitting in the comfort of your home the day before you leave for a 1 week vacation. You are chewing on your favorite snack and then CRACK, a portion of your tooth is gone! This scenario is seen on occasion and thanks to CEREC technology, we at Okamoto and Bigley Dentistry can have a crown delivered in the same day, so you don’t have to wear that temporary crown while trying to enjoy your vacation! This is just one example of cases we see frequently in the office.

With CEREC technology, a patient can have their crown designed and milled right in front of them. CEREC essentially uses a mini camera that takes images of your teeth and stitches them together to form a digital model. CEREC allows the patient to visualize the appearance of the restoration with their teeth and the ability to make any adjustments necessary. Once the design phase is completed the crown is ready to be milled, where your crown will be cut out from a porcelain block. There are many different shades of these porcelain blocks, which allow us to select the best shade for you.

Patients are amazed at how quick this process can be and with the accuracy of the crowns. This is another benefit of designing the restoration in the office. Since the tooth was prepared by the Dentist, who better to design the crown than that Dentist?!

CEREC also has blocks made out of Composite, in addition to the Ceramic blocks. Composite is the “tooth-colored” material that we use for fillings. This allows us to use this technology for large fillings, which, in turn, produces better contours and anatomy for these restorations.

We at Okamoto and Bigley Dentistry are embracing the new changes in dentistry to better suit our patients. The next time you are in the office, or if you have any questions in regards to CEREC, we would be more than happy to explain.