by Plano Dentist, Williams & Sivie, DDS
Let's face it, very few of us have perfect teeth, free of decay and/or fillings. You can probably see a filling or two in your own mouth, which do just that -- "fill" a cavity or hole in your tooth left from the excavation of decayed tooth structure. In many cases, those fillings are made of a metal material that can fracture, weaken the tooth, or get additional decay under or around it. CEREC is a method used by our office to restore any tooth that is decayed, weakened, broken, etc. to its natural strength and beauty. Better yet, it is usually done in a single appointment with all-ceramic materials (no metal) that are tooth-colored!
With CEREC at our side, you can be in and out in a single visit with an all ceramic crown, onlay or veneer! For you, the patient, this means fewer injections, less drilling and less time out of your hectic schedule for dental care. So, why are thousands of people world wide choosing the CEREC restorative technique for their dental needs? So, how does the CEREC procedure work?
Examination and Preparation
First the tooth is examined and the appropriate treatment is determined. It could be a simple filling or a full crown, depending on how much healthy tooth structure is remaining. Next, an anesthetic is administered and your tooth prepared for the restoration by removing decayed and weakened tooth tissue.
An Optical Impression of the prepared tooth is then taken. Instead of filling a tray with impression "goop" that you must bite into and hold in your mouth until it hardens, your tooth is coated with a non-toxic, tasteless powder. A camera is then used to take a digital picture of your tooth. This whole Optical Impression process only takes a minute or two.
No Temporaries
Next, the CEREC machine creates 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. The virtual model is used to design the restoration using the CEREC 3D computer program. Within a few minutes 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, the restoration is tried in your mouth to ensure a proper fit and bite. The restoration is then glazed in an oven 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!
Ask us about CEREC today!
(972) 596-9697
(888) 898-SMILE