CEREC is short for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics or CEramic REConstruction. It is an advanced and convenient in-office technology, first introduced in 1987, that restores structurally damaged teeth. CEREC can be used to design crowns, veneers, bridges, and other dental structures.
A primary benefit of CEREC is that it dramatically speeds up the process of getting your teeth restored. What used to be a week-long procedure can now be achieved in two to three hours. At the same time, CEREC has ushered in the use of better-quality and much longer-lasting materials for tooth restoration.
How CEREC works
The CEREC system is made up of two parts: a computer station and a milling station. Once the damaged part of the tooth has been removed, the computer station takes a digital impression of the tooth and prepares a digital model that is used to design the restoration. When the design is completed, the model is transferred to the milling station. A block of material with tooth colour is then milled by diamond cutters, and the final restoration is ready in minutes.
What are CEREC crowns made of?
CEREC crowns are made of resins, porcelain or zirconia. We select the material that provides the needed resistance to pressure or the needed improvement in appearance. Zirconia has the greatest resistance capabilities to pressure, while porcelain more closely imitates the natural appearance of teeth. Resins are used, whenever needed, to produce temporary crowns.
CEREC crowns versus traditional crowns
Two appointments are required for getting traditional crowns. In the first appointment, your dentist removes the damaged part of the tooth, takes impressions of the tooth with various dental materials, and cements a temporary crown onto the tooth. The taste, smell, size, and consistency of the materials used to take impressions may cause discomfort in some patients. He or she sends the impressions to a dental laboratory, where your future crown is produced. A week or so later, you return for your second appointment, at which your dentist cements the final crown onto your tooth.
To get a CEREC crown, you need only one appointment. We remove the damaged part of the tooth and take a digital impression. This impression – which causes no discomfort whatever – is used to design your crown and manufacture it right here in our dental office. We then cement the new crown onto your tooth.
The benefits of this procedure are that you are anaesthetized only once, no dental compounds for taking impressions are used, and no further visit is required. All of which greatly improves your comfort level whenever you need to pursue this dental procedure.
CEREC veneers
CEREC can also be used to produce veneers, which are pieces of porcelain that can be bonded to front surfaces of your teeth to improve their appearance dramatically. As in the case of crowns, you need only one appointment to get CEREC veneers. During your visit, your teeth are scanned with the CEREC system to produce a computer model that is used to create the veneers.
CEREC bridges
CEREC can be used to produce dental bridges wherever a tooth is missing. It is particularly successful in situations where the missing tooth is in the frontal segment of the upper or lower jaw. In this case, we create bridges that preserve tooth substance since the process involves no or only minimal grinding of adjacent teeth. The bridge resembles a butterfly that is cemented to the adjacent teeth with its “wings.”
How long does a CEREC crown last?
On average, a CEREC crown can last 13 years if it is properly maintained. Under favourable conditions, a CEREC can last longer. If there is a tendency for teeth grinding or clenching, however, the lifespan of the restoration may be significantly reduced.
Did you know?
Not all dental practices use CEREC because there can be a steep learning curve associated with it, requiring several months of training. At Comfort Care Dental Clinic, however, the use of CEREC is one of our areas of expertise. As with other dental technologies, we leverage CEREC to provide you with optimal restorations that promote long-lasting oral hygiene and health.
Need a CEREC crown in downtown Montreal?
At Comfort Care Dental Clinic, we can produce your crown efficiently and effectively in a single visit thanks to our expert use of CEREC technology. Come meet our team of dedicated dental professionals at our clinic conveniently located in downtown Montreal at 2045 Stanley Street, Suite 1100 – just a two-minute walk from Peel metro station.