crowns Archives - Reedley Family Dental

CEREC stands for “Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics” and is a computer-aided design and manufacturing system for dentists. CEREC combines a camera, computer, and milling instrument into one machine allowing tooth restorations to be created in the dentist office, all within a single visit.

Not only does this eliminate both the long process of sending your tooth mold to an outside lab and living with a temporary crown, hundreds of studies show that the CEREC system is a safer and more effective way to restore your teeth than traditional methods.

The CEREC system is used to fix damaged or unsightly teeth. Whether you’re looking for a more radiant smile, or you’re teeth are decaying and need to be repaired, CEREC can help.

How CEREC works

CEREC uses advanced computer-aided design technology and software to create perfect, natural-looking restorations in just minutes. Thanks to this technology, visiting your dentist for a tooth restoration is a simple and non-invasive procedure.

Here’s how it works:

Your dentist will prepare your tooth for the restoration
The CEREC software takes a digital photo of the treatment area
The CEREC technology converts the image into a 3D virtual model
With input from the dentist, the software creates the final restoration
The CEREC mill precisely carves a ceramic block into the exact shape and specifications of your restoration
Once the dentist has ensured the restoration fits properly in your mouth, the restoration is polished and bonded to your tooth

This entire process takes no longer than 2 hours!

If you have any questions or would like to schedule an introductory visit, please give our office a call at: (559) 637-0123.

Traditionally, inlays were used instead of fillings to replace a small amount of tooth structure loss due to dental decay. Like fillings, inlays fit inside the tooth.

Dental Inlays

Today, inlays are still being used as dental fillings, but the inlays can be made of a tooth-colored material such as ceramic/porcelain or special dental composite depending on what the patient wants. Defective or unsightly “fillings” can be replaced by tooth-colored inlays and bonded to the tooth in about 30mins to 1 hour. This bonding process may actually improve the strength of the tooth and help seal the inlay to the tooth.

Dental Onlays

Like inlays, onlays also fit inside the tooth, but extend onto the chewing surface of a back tooth to replace one or more cusps. In the past, onlays were made only of gold, but like inlays, more and more patients request a tooth-colored onlay. Making the onlay of ceramic/porcelain allows the restoration to be bonded to the tooth and look natural. This bonding process may actually improve the strength of the tooth and help seal the onlay to the tooth to prevent further decay.