|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
I recently had the opportunity to give a presentation about CEREC technology to a group of dentists. A large portion of the audience was made up of people who were the heads of departments and “very important people” when I was in dental school. At first I was nervous, but then I realized that I was among the people who had shaped my vision of ideal dental treatment. It was based on the conservative treatment of teeth. When I was in school in the mid seventies, the restoration of teeth with gold inlays was taught as the best treatment available. It was long lasting and conserved sound tooth structure. The next couple of decades brought us a change in attitudes about esthetics, the display of gold in the mouth and a move away from metals. This brought us to the age of what I have called “Grind down dentistry”. Since there was no long lasting, conservative and esthetic replacement for gold; teeth were “ground down” for porcelain crowns. This continues to be the treatment of choice in many dental offices throughout the country. Since the early 1980’s I have been involved in the use and testing of conservative porcelain restorations. Many of those materials were not as good as we wanted. CEREC milled ceramic restorations fulfill the teachings of those in my audience. CAD/CAM designed and bonded restorations conserve sound tooth structure, are extremely accurate fitting, give long life, and protect and strengthen the tooth. But now they are also ESTHETIC, METAL FREE, AND CAN BE COMPLETED IN A SINGLE VISIT. At the end of my presentation, one of the best dentists of that generation came up to me and said, “If I was 20 years younger I would invest in a CEREC system and offer it to my patients as the best treatment alternative for restoring their teeth.” Even the most discriminating agree, this is an excellent process. We have pioneered its use in this area, you should consider it if indicated for your mouth.
I have been using CEREC CAD/CAM technology to restore teeth for our patients since 1998-one of the first in the State of Washington. I have been teaching CEREC technology to new purchasers since 2001. Our status in the dental technology community allows us immediate access to “the latest and the greatest”! |
|
| CEREC CAD/CAM PROCEEDURE |
| Exam and Preparation |
| First, I will examine your teeth and determine the appropriate treatment. It could be a simple filling, or a full crown, depending on how much healthy tooth structure is remaining and our best clinical judgment. Next, I will administer an anesthetic and prepare your tooth for the restoration, removing decayed and weakened tooth tissue. This preparation is much like I would do for many other restorative techniques. |
 |
|
| |
| Optical Impression |
| Then I will take an Optical impression of the prepared tooth. Instead of filling a tray with impression “goop” that you must bite into and hold in your mouth until it hardens, I coat the tooth with a non-toxic, tasteless powder. A camera is then used to take a 3D digital picture of your tooth. This whole Optical Impression process only takes a minute or two. |
 |
|
| |
| No Temporaries |
| Next the CEREC machine helps me create the restoration for your tooth. The CEREC 3D software takes the digital picture and converts it into a 3-dimensional virtual model on the computer screen. I use my dental expertise to design the restoration using the CEREC 3D computer program. Within a few minutes, the restoration is custom designed for your tooth, and the restoration design data is sent to a separate milling machine in the office. A ceramic block that matches your tooth shade is placed in the milling machine. About 10-20 minutes later, your all-ceramic, tooth-colored restoration is finished and ready to bond in place. Finally, I will try the restoration in your mouth to ensure proper fit and bite. The restoration is then polished and bonded to the prepared tooth. Your tooth is restored with no “temporary” or return trip necessary. All of this is done in a single appointment! Be sure to ask us about CEREC today! |
|
|
| |
| Single Appointment Dental Care |
| Most permanent dental restorative methods require more than one visit to the dentist. This means that on the first visit, you get an injection of anesthesia, your tooth prepared, an impression taken, and a temporary restoration put on your tooth. You make a second appointment for a couple of weeks later, get another injection, have the temporary pried off (if it hasn’t fallen off already), and have a permanent restoration put on. Why go to the dentist a second time when you don’t have to? With CEREC, the procedure is done in a single appointment, start to finish. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
