Dental restorations, such as crowns, fillings, and veneers, have been around for a long time now. They are mainly used to restore teeth that are severely damaged, infected, cracked, discolored, or need support to prevent them from crumbling. However, much to the delight of our patients, restorations have come a long way from taking multiple visits to the dentist’s office and spending several hours of chair time. You can now get them done in a single visit to our office with the help of CEREC!
Yes, you did read that right! CEREC restorations will be fabricated with better precision than conventional ones, and are safe, aesthetically pleasing and patient-friendly. No matter what your dental condition is, such as weak, worn out, decayed, chipped, cracked, misshapen or discolored teeth, CEREC restorations can be used to restore such teeth effectively.
What is CEREC?
CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restoration using Esthetic Ceramic. It makes use of CAD/CAM technology to mill out restorations with high precision from small blocks of ceramic. The process is so quick that your customized restoration will be ready in a matter of a few minutes while you get yourself something to eat or surf through a few Youtube videos.
How good are CEREC restorations?
Since CEREC restorations are fabricated so quickly, it could raise a few doubts in your minds about how good or bad they are. Well, you needn’t worry one bit about it. CEREC restorations are made from the best quality dental-grade ceramic, which is biocompatible. It doesn’t cause damage to the natural tissues of your tooth and blends in perfectly.
Moreover, CEREC uses highly advanced software to mill out the restorations. This makes them fit perfectly on the tooth without altering your natural bite. The color and texture of the restorations will mimic that of your teeth, which is why they seamlessly blend in with the adjoining teeth. Also, they offer excellent durability, longevity, and strengthen the structure of the tooth they support.
A notch above conventional restorations
If you have ever got a restoration done, you will have an idea of how long the procedure would take. The entire process of screening and cleaning the teeth, conducting tests, taking a mold, sending it to a laboratory, getting a temporary restoration for a few days, and finally, getting the permanent one fabricated and bonded on to the teeth would easily take several days, or even weeks.
With CEREC, the chair time is significantly reduced. The steps involved are simple:
- The dentist scans the teeth using the CEREC device. This provides an unlimited number of views of the teeth and mouth for fabricating the restorations.
- With the help of Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) software, the dentist designs a 3D model of the restoration with high accuracy. You can get an idea of how it will look once you get it done.
- When the design has been finalized after a few minor changes, and you’re happy with the way your new restoration looks, it can be fabricated using Computer Aided Milling (CAM).
- The restoration will be polished to match the exact texture and color of the natural teeth and placed over the tooth. It will be secured in place using dental adhesives.
If you’re looking for a quick aesthetic makeover that is going to improve the appearance of your smile and boost your self-confidence, same-day restorations are undoubtedly the ones for you! Get in touch with us to get your customized CEREC restorations today.
Call us at (773) 880-2310 to have a consultation with Dr. Grandberry, and learn more about Same Day Dentistry. We also serve Lakeview and Lincoln Park areas of Chicago, 60657.
