Tooth Restoration using CEREC Technology now offered in Northeast Columbia, SC!

There are many ways to restore teeth that have been damaged by decay. If the damage is minimal, a tooth colored composite resin filling can be bonded directly to it, making a newly restored tooth. When a larger portion of the tooth is damaged, a stronger restoration called a ceramic crown or “onlay” is possible.

In the past this type of procedure could take 2 visits or more and involved gooey impressions material and the inconvenience of wearing a temporary tooth until the restoration was complete. The impression had to be sent to a dental laboratory and then shipped back to the dental office.

This procedure has changed thanks to the new technology of CEREC (Ceramic Reconstruction). This is all done thought CAD- CAM (Computer Assisted Design -Computer Assisted Manufacturing) procedure. The doctors design and shape the tooth in need of restoration. An optical impression (picture) of the tooth is captured with a special camera. The image is then sent to the CEREC computer where the tooth restoration is designed and made from a block of ceramic material. The doctor then bonds the ceramic restoration to the tooth- all in a single visit!

How Does CEREC Work?

First, our Creative Smiles dentist prepares the damaged tooth by painting a thin layer of reflective powder directly on the tooth's surface. Using a special camera, he then takes a picture of the tooth.

Computer aided design technology helps the doctor design the restoration from the optical impression.

Then computer aided manufacturing mills the restoration from a ceramic block that matches the patient's tooth color. The milling process takes about 15 minutes. Finally, we bond the newly milled restoration to the tooth using an adhesive.

What Kinds of Procedures Can It Perform?

• Partial and full crowns
• Veneers
• All other single-tooth restorations

What are the Advantages Cerec Offers?

• One visit restoration
• No impressions
• No temporaries
• Extremely precise due to the advanced computer technology
• Allows dentist to save more of the healthy tooth
• The restoration is natural looking, as it is made out of tooth-colored ceramic
• More durable than traditional lab-processed ceramics
• Metal and Mercury free
• Ceramic material is biocompatible, high-grade, anti-abrasive and plaque-resistant
• Bonds to enamel so well, the bond is stronger than the tooth itself
• No return visits for patient