When it comes to cosmetic dentistry procedures, advancements in ceramic engineering have developed to the point that there are full sets of crowns and veneers can be prepared, milled and fitted within an hour.
CEREC, short for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics, enables high quality, comfortable crowns to be made and fitted whilst you wait.
The reason for this is that most of the process of making the CEREC veneers and crowns is undertaken by computers.
Rather than a physical imprint, digital imagins is used to capture a 3D model of your mouth, which can be studied and used as a guide to create your new tooth.
Once your dentist is happy with the new look, it is taken to a milling machine that is so small it can be kept on-site.
Most of the waiting time between an imprint being taken of your teeth and the restoration being fitted was a result of the information having to be sent to a dedicated laboratory for restorations to be made.
With CEREC machines, the milling is undertaken not a large distance away from the dentist’s chair, and a new veneer or crown is made from high quality ceramic whilst you wait.
Depending on the machine used and the complication of the restoration, the process can take as little as six minutes, although in many cases it will take around half an hour.
Much like standard veneers, CEREC restorations are available in a variety of colours and shades to match your natural teeth, and is then fitted onto a prepared tooth in the same way as any other veneer or crown.