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Let's face it, very few of us have
perfect teeth, free of decay and 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 metal material and
can go bad, weaken the tooth, or get additional decay under
or around it. In fact, 1.2 billion of these metal
fillings will need to be replaced in the next 10 years.* CEREC
is a method used by thousands of dentists worldwide since
1987 not only to replace these fillings, but also
to restore any tooth that is decayed, weakened, broken,
etc. to its natural strength and beauty. Better yet,
it's done with all-ceramic materials that are tooth colored
in a single appointment!
Why
CEREC?
- Protects
and preserves your own tooth's structural integrity.
- Ceramics
are bio-compatible.
- Only
one appointment.
- Perfect
looks.
- Perfect
comfort.
- Perfect
quality.
- Long
lasting and durable.
- Unquestionably
the most cost effective restoration we have available
today.
What
is the procedure?
Exam
and Preparation
First, your Dentist examines the tooth
and determines the appropriate treatment. It could
be a simple filling, or a full crown, depending on how
much healthy tooth structure is remaining and the clinical
judgement of your Dentist. Next, he or she administers
an anesthetic and prepares your tooth for the restoration,
removing decayed and weakened tooth tissue. This
preparation is just like he or she would do for many other
restorative techniques.
Optical Impression
Then, your Dentist takes 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, your Dentist
coats the tooth 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 helps the Dentist
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. Your
Dentist then uses his or her dental expertise
to design the restoration using
the CEREC 3D computer program. Within a few minutes,
your Dentist clicks a button, 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, your Dentist tries 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!
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