What's CEREC and How Does it Work?
Also known as "same day crowns," Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics (CEREC) or "CEramic REConstruction" is a CAD/CAM dentistry method which was created by W. Mörmann and M. Brandestini in 1980 at the University of Zurich. At the time, it was a revolutionary development for dental restorations and it remains one of the most popular and effective methods today. CAD/CAM is computer aided design or computer aided manufacturing, which lets dentists instantly create and apply ceramic restorations individually in one treatment session—thus the "chairside" part of CEREC.
With traditional crowns, patients usually have to come to multiple appointments. The first appointment is for a "fitting," then you have to wait about a week while the ceramics are created in a lab, often off-site, before coming in again to have them placed. Although CEREC was invented in 1980, it wasn't first used until 1985. Today, Cerec is also a brand name within Sirona companies in the US, Australia and Germany.
What to Expect with CAD/CAM
The best crowns and bridges vary depending on the patient's needs, preferences and of course unique situation. However, for many patients CAD/CAM dentistry is a way to enjoy a faster process that's still customized and high quality. At the appointment, dentists make digital impression from scans (which are created via a number of methods including CT scans, visible light scans and digital radiographs). The actual restoration is designed on a computer with a 3D model.
The CAD part designs the restoration while the CAM part actually creates it. This can be done many ways, such as with 3D printing or CNC milling. Your dentist will need an "image acquisition unit" complete with intraoral camera, the right software and a printer or milling machine. If one of the latter items isn't available, the information can be sent digitally to a nearby dental lab. Around the globe, about 38,000 dentists use CEREC to make almost seven million restorations each year.
Technology at Work
In most cases, dentists can do it all from A to Z. It only takes up to 15 minutes for machines to create a single restoration by utilizing diamond-coated machinery. The dentist then adds any additional touches by hand, which can include glazing, painting or polishing. The ceramic is then fitted via dental cement or adhesive onto the tooth.
It's the exact same quality as traditional ceramics and crowns, but in a fraction of the time. Many materials can be used with CEREC, although silicate is the most popular. This is a great option for single tooth restorations such as crowns, veneers, onlays or inlays. The accuracy of CEREC is flawless, and the success rate is 95.5 percent after nine years.
Photo Credit
With traditional crowns, patients usually have to come to multiple appointments. The first appointment is for a "fitting," then you have to wait about a week while the ceramics are created in a lab, often off-site, before coming in again to have them placed. Although CEREC was invented in 1980, it wasn't first used until 1985. Today, Cerec is also a brand name within Sirona companies in the US, Australia and Germany.
What to Expect with CAD/CAM
The best crowns and bridges vary depending on the patient's needs, preferences and of course unique situation. However, for many patients CAD/CAM dentistry is a way to enjoy a faster process that's still customized and high quality. At the appointment, dentists make digital impression from scans (which are created via a number of methods including CT scans, visible light scans and digital radiographs). The actual restoration is designed on a computer with a 3D model.
The CAD part designs the restoration while the CAM part actually creates it. This can be done many ways, such as with 3D printing or CNC milling. Your dentist will need an "image acquisition unit" complete with intraoral camera, the right software and a printer or milling machine. If one of the latter items isn't available, the information can be sent digitally to a nearby dental lab. Around the globe, about 38,000 dentists use CEREC to make almost seven million restorations each year.
Technology at Work
In most cases, dentists can do it all from A to Z. It only takes up to 15 minutes for machines to create a single restoration by utilizing diamond-coated machinery. The dentist then adds any additional touches by hand, which can include glazing, painting or polishing. The ceramic is then fitted via dental cement or adhesive onto the tooth.
It's the exact same quality as traditional ceramics and crowns, but in a fraction of the time. Many materials can be used with CEREC, although silicate is the most popular. This is a great option for single tooth restorations such as crowns, veneers, onlays or inlays. The accuracy of CEREC is flawless, and the success rate is 95.5 percent after nine years.
Photo Credit
