At Implant Dentistry of Florida, we believe in staying at the forefront of dental technology. That’s why Dr. Brown has been placing dental implants since 1982, before most people had heard of them. That’s why Dr. Brown also is one of the few dentists trained in the pinhole technique for repairing receding gums. That’s why we’ve made the Invisalign system of basically invisible orthodontics our go-to treatment for tooth movement.
And that’s why we use the CEREC system for single-day creation and placement of crowns, inlays/onlays, and fillings.
What is CEREC?
CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. This is a cutting edge system that uses computer-aided design, CAD-CAM, to design and manufacture accurate dental restorations of the highest quality. The CEREC system allows Dr. Brown and Dr. Vaughn to gather the necessary information and images about a tooth needing a restoration, without using universally hated dental impressions and having to place temporary restorations while a dental lab creates the prosthetic.
One appointment
Usually the placement of a crown or an inlay or onlay requires two appointments. During the first appointment, the tooth is prepared and then impressions are taken. These are sent to the dental lab to use when creating the prosthetic. In the meantime, the patient needs to wear a temporary crown or other restoration and return in a couple weeks for a second appointment when the dental lab has created the piece.
With CEREC, we can do all of this in one appointment. Once Dr. Brown or Dr. Vaughn determines the appropriate treatment for the damaged tooth — a full crown, an inlay or onlay, or a simple filling — the tooth is prepared. Decay is removed along with any weakened areas of the tooth. Now, CEREC comes into play. An intraoral camera takes digital photos of the tooth, usually in just a minute or two. This data is sent to the CEREC computer, which creates a 3D virtual model of your tooth. Using this model, Dr. Brown or Dr. Vaughn designs the restoration of your tooth in the system software. You can see how your new crown or other restoration will look right on screen.
This data is then sent to the CEREC milling machine in our Implant Dentistry of Florida offices. Using a dental-grade block of porcelain, the CEREC system then mills your restoration to the precise specifications of the 3D virtual design. The milling process only takes from 10-20 minutes.
When your porcelain restoration is finished, we test it to ensure proper fit and bite and then we cement the piece permanently onto your tooth. Now you’re good to go, all in just one appointment.
Who needs two appointments and two weeks’ time to get a crown or other tooth restoration? Call us at Implant Dentistry of Florida, (321) 372-7700, and ask about our CEREC system and how it can work for your dental health.