RESTORATIONS: CEREC

CEREC means we can quickly and economically restore damaged teeth using a durable ceramic material that matches the natural color of other teeth in your mouth. CEREC is an acronym for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics.

What advantages does CEREC offer me?

First and foremost, the restoration can be performed in a single session, usually in about one hour. With CEREC there's no need for us to make an impression and send it to a lab. We won't inconvenience you by asking you to return for a second visit.

Secondly, the restoration is natural looking, because it is made of tooth-colored ceramic material. It's metal-free -- no silver fillings to discolor your smile! The ceramic material is compatible with tissue in your mouth and is high-grade, anti-abrasive and plaque-resistant. It allows us to be extremely precise and save more of the healthy part of your tooth.

How does CEREC work?

First, we prepare the damaged tooth by applying a thin layer of reflective powder directly on the tooth's surface. Using a special camera, we then take a picture of the tooth. We work from this photo, which is actually a pin-sharp optical impression of the tooth.

Computer Aided Design technology helps us design the restoration from the optical impression. You can actually watch us design your new restoration on full-color computer monitor right before your eyes!

Then CEREC creates an extremely precise restoration. A high-speed diamond bur and a disk work simultaneously to mill the restoration out of a solid block of ceramic material. Finally, we bond the newly milled restoration to the tooth using state-of-the-art adhesive dentistry.

Over a decade of medical research and experience supports the CEREC technology. User input and research have helped the manufacturer improve the product during this time. Dentists have performed over four million restorations worldwide.