What is Cerec Technology
CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics, or CEramic REConstruction) is a dental restoration product that allows us to produce a ceramic dental restoration using a variety of computer technologies, including 3D photography.
With CEREC, teeth can be restored in a single sitting with the patient, rather than the multiple sittings required with earlier techniques. Additionally, with the latest software and hardware updates, crowns, veneers, onlays and inlays can be prepared, using different types of ceramic material.
How it works
The cavity preparation is first photographed and stored as a three dimensional digital model. The software is then used to approximate the restoration shape using comparisons to surrounding teeth. Our dentist then refines that model using 3D software.
When the design phase is complete, the information is sent to the milling unit which mills the actual restoration from a solid block of material using diamond burs. The restoration is bonded to the tooth using a resin cement which bonds to both the restoration as well as the tooth itself.
Application
Our dentist prepares the tooth being restored either as a crown, inlay, onlay or veneer. The tooth is then powder sprayed with a thin layer of blue anti-reflective contrast medium, imaged by a 3D imaging camera and uploaded to the CEREC computer. A restoration can be designed to restore the tooth to its appropriate form and function. This data on this restoration is sent as a file to a milling machine. The restoration can then be milled out of a solid ceramic or composite block.
