Chris' Tooth Tips

Why patients are choosing CEREC

CEREC by Sirona Dental Systems is the world's only system for the fabrication of all ceramic dental restorations in one office visit. With CEREC at your dentist's side, you can be in and out in a single visit with a permanent, all ceramic crown, onlay, or veneer! For you, the patient, this means fewer injections, less drilling, and less time out of your hectic schedule for dental care. So, why are thousands of people world wide choosing the CEREC restorative technique for their dental needs?

Single Appointment Dental Care
Most dental restorative methods require more than one visit to the dentist. This means that on the first visit, you get an injection of anesthesia, your tooth prepared, an impression taken, and a temporary restoration put on your tooth. You make a second appointment for a couple of weeks later, and get an injection, have the temporary pried off (if it hasn't fallen off already, and have a permanent restoration put on. Why go to the dentist a second time when you don't have to? With CEREC, the procedure is done in a single appointment, start to finish.

Finest Dental Materials
A CEREC tooth restoration isn't just convenient, it is also healthy. Many years ago, dentists had few options to repair decayed and damaged teeth other than amalgam, gold, and other metals. With CEREC, your dentist can use strong, tooth colored ceramic materials to restore your teeth to their natural strength, beauty, and function. These materials closely match the composition of natural tooth structure. This means when you eat hot food and then drink something cold, the restoration and tooth expand and contract at almost equal rates. So, your tooth does not crack, and you can go on enjoying your evening. Also, the materials are chemically bonded to your tooth, so your dentist can save as much healthy tooth tissue as possible while providing you with a dental restoration that strengthens your tooth.

Smile Enhancement
Your dentist can use CEREC for more than just crowns and fillings. CEREC is capable of producing any single tooth restoration. Chipped or discolored front teeth can be repaired with beautiful CEREC porcelain anterior crowns or veneers. Your smile makes a lasting first impression. Enhance it with CEREC.
Worldwide, a CEREC restoration is placed every 20 seconds. With a history of nearly 20 years, this equipment has helped dentists place over 6 million restorations. Using metal free materials that are the closest to your natural enamel, CEREC gives you the highest quality restorative care. Ask your dentist today about single visit CEREC restorative care!
The CEREC Procedure

Because Your Dentist Values YOUR Time

Let's face it, very few of us have perfect teeth, free of decay and fillings. You can probably see a filling or two in your own mouth, which do just that -- "fill" a cavity, or hole, in your tooth left from the excavation of decayed tooth structure. In many cases, those fillings are made of metal material and can go bad, weaken the tooth, or get additional decay under or around it. In fact, 1.2 billion of these metal fillings will need to be replaced in the next 10 years.* CEREC is a method used by thousands of dentists worldwide since 1987 not only to replace these fillings, but also to restore any tooth that is decayed, weakened, broken, etc. to its natural strength and beauty. Better yet, it's done with all-ceramic materials that are tooth colored in a single appointment! So, how does the CEREC procedure work?

Exam and Preparation
First, your Dentist examines the tooth and determines the appropriate treatment. It could be a simple filling, or a full crown, depending on how much healthy tooth structure is remaining and the clinical judgement of your Dentist. Next, he or she administers an anesthetic and prepares your tooth for the restoration, removing decayed and weakened tooth tissue. This preparation is just like he or she would do for many other restorative techniques.

Optical Impression
Then, your Dentist takes an Optical Impression of the prepared tooth. Instead of filling a tray with impression "goop" that you must bite into and hold in your mouth until it hardens, your Dentist coats the tooth with a non-toxic, tasteless powder. A camera is then used to take a digital picture of your tooth. This whole Optical Impression process only takes a minute or two.

No Temporaries
Next, the CEREC machine helps the Dentist create the restoration for your tooth. The CEREC 3D software takes the digital picture and converts it into a 3-dimensional virtual model on the computer screen. Your Dentist then uses his or her dental expertise to design the restoration using the CEREC 3D computer program. Within a few minutes, your Dentist clicks a button, and the restoration design data is sent to a separate milling machine in the office. A ceramic block that matches your tooth shade is placed in the milling machine. About 10 - 20 minutes later, your all-ceramic, tooth-colored restoration is finished and ready to bond in place. Finally, your Dentist tries the restoration in your mouth to ensure proper fit and bite. The restoration is then polished and bonded to the prepared tooth. Your tooth is restored with no "temporary" or return trip necessary. All of this is done in a single appointment! Ask your Dentist about CEREC today.

*Harvard Health Letter, March 2000; NIDR of NIH, Dental Amalgam Study, 1993.
CEREC Technology

Dental Technology of the Future ...Today

What is CEREC? CEREC is an acronym ...
· Chairside: The technology is in the dental operatory and used while you are in the chair
· Economical: The procedure is economical for both dentist and patient
· Restorations: The procedure restores your tooth to its natural beauty, function, and strength
· of Esthetic: The restorations are metal-free and tooth-colored
· Ceramic: High-strength ceramics are used that are close in composition to your natural tooth structure.

For an advanced dental restorative system that allows your dentist to restore decayed teeth, place crowns, remove defective amalgam fillings, or place cosmetic veneers in just one appointment. This allows you to have the highest quality, most lifelike dental restorations in just one visit to the dentist...in, out, and on with your busy life. The state of the art CEREC system was developed in 1985 at the University of Zurich in Switzerland by a dentist, Dr. Werner H. Mormann, and an electrical engineer, Dr. Markus Brandistini. Today, CEREC 3 with CEREC 3D software is still the world's only chair side dental CAD/CAM restorative system. At the heart of the system is the innovative technology.

CEREC Acquisition Unit
The CEREC Acquisition Unit is mobile and houses a medical grade computer and the CEREC camera. Your dentist uses the camera to take a digital picture of your prepared tooth. This picture is used instead of a traditional impression. This means no impression tray and material for you to gag on. The computer and CEREC 3D software converts the digital picture to a three dimensional virtual model of your prepped tooth. Your dentist then designs your restoration right on screen using the software while you wait (and watch!). This software can assist your dentist with designing any single tooth restoration: crowns, inlays (fillings), onlays (partial crowns), and veneers. Once your dentist has designed your restoration (usually about 5 minutes), he or she clicks a button, and the design data is communicated via a wireless radio signal to the CEREC Milling Unit.

CEREC Milling Unit
Your dentist or dental assistant selects a ceramic block that matches the shade of the tooth being repaired. He or she then inserts the block into the Milling Unit. The data from the Acquisition Unit is used to direct two diamond coated burs to carve the block into the indicated shape of the restoration. This process usually takes 8 to 18 minutes depending on the size and type of restoration. After the milling is finished, your dentist polishes the finished filling or crown and bonds it into place.

With CEREC technology, your dentist can restore damaged teeth or enhance your smile with bio-compatible, tooth-colored materials in a single appointment. This technology has a track record of almost 20 years, and more than 100 studies confirm the clinical excellence of the method. Ask your dentist about CEREC today.
CEREC Material Partners

The Best in Dental Ceramics

The CEREC team at Sirona is fortunate to have partnered with two dental materials manufacturers. Vita manufactures VITABLOCS® Mark II for CEREC®. These blocks are made of feldspathic porcelain. Once again, Sirona has put to use our philosophy of the "Synergy of the Best" to bring to you CEREC by Sirona and materials by these fine manufacturers.