CEREC and Dental Implants

Sep 14, 2016 | Dental Implants

If you have lost a tooth, we can provide you with a new one using CEREC technology. This advancement in dentistry allows us to create beautiful and natural looking dental crowns in one visit to our office.  Rather than depending on a dental lab to create crowns or restorations, we can handle the entire process in-house with precision. As our patient, you can benefit from the convenience this offers and the ability to have dental work completed faster.

What is CEREC?

This is a newer technology that allows us to create dental crowns in-house. To do so, we take digital images of your mouth that are then uploaded into our CAD/CAM software program.  This program creates a digital blueprint of your tooth and sends that information to our milling machine.  Next, a crown is essentially printed while you wait. Following exact specifications that include size, shape, and shade, this crown looks entirely natural once our machine is done.

Even though the process is completed quickly and without the need for a dental lab, the crown will be just as strong and durable as if it had been created using the traditional tools. In fact, this method is incredibly precise because it does away with the risk element associated with human error.

Why CEREC is Beneficial

This process saves you a significant amount of time.  When you are replacing a tooth with dental implants, there are several steps to the process.  The first is your initial examination and x-rays to determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure.  Next, a small titanium post is implanted under the gums and secured to the jawbone.  This is done surgically while you are under anesthesia. Since the body reacts to titanium as if it were natural matter, it will begin to deposit bone around the implant until the process of osseointegration is complete.  Once it is, your implant will be as secure as a natural tooth root would be.  This creates a secure base for an abutment and your new tooth (crown) to be secured to.

Traditionally, your new crown would be created by the dental lab and it would take several weeks to get back to you after the request had been sent out.  By this time you will have already undergone surgery and waited for osseointegration to take place, meaning that you are probably looking forward to getting it over with. At this point in the process, the best way to do so is to visit our dental office so that we can create your dental crown while you wait.

Once your crown is ready, we will look to see if any adjustments need to be made for it to fit perfectly and look completely natural.  If so, we can make changes in our office as well, which further decreases the need to involve the dental lab. Once it is complete, your new tooth can be attached and you will be ready to show off your beautiful and fully restored smile.

More Options for CEREC

We can also use CEREC dentistry to complete chairside restorations if you have damaged a tooth.

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