Dentistry has made enormous strides in the last twenty years, both in terms of technology and treatment. The intimidating surgeries of the past are no more and today dental surgeries resemble health spas more than hospitals. Technological advances have also greatly improved the accuracy and speed of treatment and none more so than the advent of CEREC technology. CEREC stands for Ceramic REConstruction and is a new tool that allows dentists to measure, design, fabricate and install a new crown all in one visit. Using the old methods of laboratory manufacture, a new crown would take several weeks and multiple visits to the dentist.

Using the very latest in 3D imaging, the dentist is able to produce an exact replica of the patient’s mouth on the computer. The dentist can then examine in minute detail what size the new crown needs to be. Once he is satisfied the crown is exactly the right size and shape he can begin the manufacturing process. This incredible process is involves sculpting the crown from a single piece of ceramic using milling devices. This whole process can last as little as six minutes, which is quite significantly faster than the days or weeks this process used to take.

The ceramic used to create the tooth can be chosen to most closely match the colour of the patient’s existing teeth and can be additionally stained to look even more realistic. The tooth requiring the crown is ground down sufficiently to accept the new cap, which is then cemented in place.

CEREC technology is cutting waiting times for all patients and making dental procedures a much less arduous and anxious experience for patients. Ask a Central Leeds dentist about CEREC technology and the future of dental surgery.

There have been astonishing leaps forward in dental technology in the last 30 years. The dentist surgeries most of us visited as children are no longer and today dentist surgeries today resemble health spas more than hospitals. The technology that is behind these advances is truly cutting edge. One of the very latest is CEREC technology. This stands for CEramic REConstruction and is a revolutionary new system that allows dentists to design, manufacture and fit a crown in a patient’s mouth in only visit. In the past, this lengthy process would have taken a few weeks and several gruelling visits to the dentist for moulding and x-rays.

Uncomfortable dental moulds are becoming a thing of the past as 3D imaging becomes an ever more useful tool in dentistry. A dentist can now take an image using a digital 3D camera and transfer this to a computer. There they can examine the image in microscopic detail and make sure the measurements are incredibly accurate before beginning the manufacturing process. The computer relays the information to a milling device that can make a crown from a single piece of porcelain. The porcelain will be matched exactly for shade and colour so that it matches existing teeth, and even stained to give a more realistic appearance. The dentist will then glaze the crown before cementing it to the patients pre-ground tooth.

This new technology-based process is known as CAD/CAM, which stands for computer aided design/computer aided manufacture, and has enable dental procedures to be performed in radically reduced periods of time to a greater degree of accuracy. Leeds dentists are using CAD/CAM technology to cut appointment and waiting times and provide some of the most astonishing dental treatments possible. You could have a perfectly matched and measured dental crown in a matter of minutes, and compared to 30 years ago, that would have been unimaginable.

So if you have a cracked or broken tooth that needs a crown to repair it, ask your dentist about CEREC technology, the future of dentistry, and prepare to be amazed.