Cerec Crowns

Having a dental crown fitted can be inconvenient, with two visits to the dentist needed; the first, to take the scans and x-rays, and the second, a few weeks later, to have the crown itself fitted after it has been prepared by the dental laboratory.

We realise that, for many of our patients, time is important and we have now installed CEREC, the latest in dental technology to speed this process up.

What is CEREC?

CEREC is a highly advanced piece of computerised technology which can be used within the dental practice and avoids the need to have crowns produced at an external dental laboratory.

How does it work?

Rather than take scans, CEREC takes an accurate digital image of your teeth and uses this to then produce, after computing the exact requirements, a crown made to exactly fit and match your own tooth. It does this from a solid block of ceramic, the industry standard for tooth replacement materials. You can actually watch this process on screen as it happens if you so wish.

What are the advantages of CEREC?

Apart from the obvious fact that there is no wait between scans and the production of the crown, using CEREC means that you do not have to wear temporary crowns for a few weeks as would be the case with the traditional approach. These can sometimes be a little uncomfortable and cause gum irritation. Producing your dental crown in-house means that it is much easier to match the natural colour of your teeth which in turn will make your crown appear more natural once fitted.

Because of the technology involved, it also means that the procedure is less invasive and less of your existing tooth will need to be removed in order to fit the new crown. This helps to give extra strength to the new tooth. Crowns produced in this manner have been shown to be stronger than crowns made at a laboratory which in turn means that they should last longer too.

Is CEREC used only for crowns?

Not at all, most dental products that are made from ceramic can be created with this technology. As well as crowns, CEREC can be used to produce veneers, overlays, inlays and white fillings.

Read about comfort during treatment