Same-Day Ceramic Restorations: How CEREC Technology Is Changing Dentistry

Once you decide to move forward with a dental restoration or cosmetic treatment, the last thing you want is to wait for weeks or longer for the process to be complete. One way to reach your treatment goals more swiftly is through CEREC (chairside economical restoration of esthetic ceramic). 

This treatment is one of many advanced technologies offered at Beaches Dentistry from a team of highly skilled practitioners who share a dedication to delivering highly personalized care. If you reside in or near Jacksonville Beach, Florida, we encourage you to try our services the next time you or a loved one needs dental care.

Let’s take a look at how CEREC improves dental treatment times and delivers impressive results.

CEREC has a long history of success

CEREC is a computer-assisted design and manufacturing technology that the automotive and aircraft industries applied in the 1960s. Around a decade later, these tools began to be used in dental applications, initially in dental crowns. 

The process involves using computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology to create custom dental products right within the dental office. An intraoral scanner gathers precise measurements of your oral tissues, and the software designs restorations or cosmetic enhancements that align with those measurements. 

That information goes to a nearby milling machine, which crafts the dental products from high-quality materials. The entire process takes minutes, while a more traditional approach can take days.

The technology behind CEREC continues to advance, and industry experts predict that even more dental treatments will eventually rely on this in-house fabrication option. 

CEREC can create more than just dental crowns

While CEREC technology initially focused on crafting high-quality dental crowns, today’s systems can produce more. Some of the dental restorations and cosmetic treatments that benefit from CEREC include:

• Inlays and onlays
• Fixed bridges
• Dentures
• Dental implants
• Veneers
• Orthodontic appliances
• Smile makeover

Of course, dental crowns remain a popular treatment option, and CEREC can create crowns that are strong, long-lasting, and virtually indistinguishable from your natural tooth tissue. 

The many benefits of CEREC in modern dentistry

When considering your options, it helps to understand the benefits and drawbacks of each choice. CEREC is a popular choice among patients and practitioners for a variety of reasons. 

To begin, perhaps the most obvious benefit of a CEREC-based treatment is the ability to complete the procedure in one visit, rather than multiple visits to achieve the same outcome.  For example, getting a dental crown in the traditional approach requires preparing the natural tooth, taking impressions, and placing a temporary crown as you wait for the dental lab to fabricate your permanent crown. 

Once that crown arrives, you return to the office to have it placed. This process requires at least two office visits, and potentially more. With CEREC, all of these steps can be performed during your visit, allowing you to walk out with your restored smile on the same day, which is a huge advantage for patients who experience dental anxiety (and of course, we can also perform your treatment using one of several sedation dentistry options).

Because there’s no need for temporary crowns, veneers, or other devices, you don’t need to worry about caring for these temporary solutions. You also won’t risk dental damage while wearing temporary dental products. CEREC also gives your dentist more control over the fabrication process, allowing them to make changes in-house if needed. 

Be sure to choose the right CEREC practitioner

One potential drawback of CEREC is the need to find a practitioner who has extensive experience using these advanced tools. At Beaches Dentistry, our dentists have the training, experience, and skills needed to leverage CEREC technology to your greatest advantage. 

You can rest assured that you are in great hands, and that your restoration or cosmetic treatment will suit your specific treatment needs and goals. The best way to learn more about the available CEREC options is to schedule a time to come in and sit down with a member of our team. We offer online booking in addition to phone-based scheduling, making it easy to connect with our office at a time that works for you.