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Dr. Belof has been using CEREC technology for 9 years and couldn’t imagine practicing without it. The results are phenomenal and long lasting, and he truly believes that CEREC is the finest dentistry that he can offer. He believes in it so much that it is the only kind of restoration in his wife’s mouth (don’t tell her we told you!) and the only restorations he’s placed for his family members. CEREC is what truly sets us apart from other offices. Read the following description and check out an actual case Dr. Belof recently performed with CEREC technology. For anyone who is too busy to go to the dentist, CEREC is for you.
CEREC® stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. This state-of-the-art technology allows us to create and place crowns, inlays, onlays and veneers in just ONE visit, so you spend less time at the dental office! Even better, the CEREC system eliminates the need for plastic temporaries while your restorations are sent off to a lab, a process that can take weeks and require a series of dental appointments. With CEREC, you can get the dental treatment you need, then get back to your busy life and the things that matter most.
After we have examined your tooth and worked with you to determine the best course of treatment, we’ll schedule your CEREC visit for a day and time that’s convenient for you. At your appointment, we will prepare the damaged tooth for restoration and take a picture of it using a special digital camera. The CEREC 3D imaging software will then create a 3D model of your restoration on our computer screen – all without that messy, uncomfortable impression tray.
CEREC restorations are made of a biocompatible ceramic material that can be adjusted to match the natural color of your other healthy teeth. We insert a block of the ceramic material into our onsite CEREC milling unit, which then constructs your restoration according to the exact specifications outlined by the virtual model. After about 45 minutes or so, your restoration is ready to be placed. Because the computer-aided manufacturing is extremely precise, you’re sure to have a great fit when your newly milled crown or filling is polished and bonded to your tooth.
Just as the internet and email have made life more convenient, CEREC has revolutionized restorative dentistry. It has been clinically proven in millions of successful restoration procedures, and patients all over the world have benefited from its convenience and cost effectiveness.
These two silver-mercury fillings are leaking and decaying from the inside out. A traditional crown would most likely lead to root canals in this case, so the patient opted for more conservative (and inexpensive) inlays.
The fillings have been removed and the decay has been found. It is very common to find decay (cavities) under old silver fillings. The silver-mercury fillings were removed while using a blue rubber dam to prevent the patient from swallowing silver and mercury waste.
This 3D computer image gives us an exact replica of the teeth to be fixed to ensure a great fit of the final inlays.
The final restorations are designed on the computer and ready to be made by our onsite milling chamber. It will take about 15 minutes for both of these restorations to be made, as opposed to the 2 week wait associated with traditional crowns.
The final ceramic inlays are cemented in the teeth. These were done in about 90 minutes and only one trip to the office, saving the patient from taking more time off work. These are metal free (unlike the crown next to them) and long lasting. They required minimal removal of healthy tooth structure and should serve the patient for many years to come.