Maybe you’ve had some pain or discomfort, and Dr. Wolter says you are in need of a crown. Not to worry! Wolter Advanced Dental Care provides state-of-the-art Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramic or CEREC. To everyone outside of the dentistry world, that just means you can have your crown prepared and placed on the same day! A single visit crown.
The Latest in Dental Technology
CERED 3D technology is used to replace failing restorations, broken teeth, and old fillings with full ceramic fillings or crowns in one visit. Using Computer-Aided Design and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM), the CEREC process combines a high-resolution camera, 3d modeling software, and a precision milling machine.
Using a dental-specific camera, the team at Wolter ADC will take precise digital images of the prepared tooth. The images replace the traditional putty-like mold and create a digital impression. The impression is transferred to the CEREC computer, where your new crown will begin to build itself to your measurements.
The CAM automatically creates a porcelain crown that looks just like a real tooth! While you wait for this super machine to do its job, you’ll be free to relax for a while in the office. Once the crown is ready, Dr. Wolter will bond it to the surface of the prepared area and leave you with a new tooth that looks just like the original.
What about Traditional Dental Crowns?
Traditional crowns are still widely used as a great solution for tooth restoration. However, thanks to modern developments in dental technology like the CEREC, they are being phased out by a faster, more economical option.
A major downside to the traditional crown is that it requires two trips to the dentist. During the first visit, the tooth is prepared, and scans are taken, but you will leave with a temporary crown that cannot withstand regular use. The scans are sent to a lab, where the crown is created and then shipped to our office. This process takes about ten days. The second visit is the placement of the crown. All-in-all, it can take 2-3 weeks to complete the entire process.
Pros of Same-Day CEREC
- Restore the function of your teeth immediately.
If you get temporary crowns while you wait for a dental laboratory to make the permanent crown, you will have to be very careful with your temporary cap. You will have to avoid gummy or tacky foods that might pull the temporary out of alignment and may experience discomfort when eating hot or cold foods and drinks. Using CEREC, you can avoid all of those discomforts and leave our office with a smile, ready for action. - Prevents injury
With traditional crowns, you have to wear a temporary crown for a few days. This temporary crown can come loose, exposing the tooth that our team has spent so much time preparing. Single-visit crowns reduce the risk of injury by permanently placing, in one visit, a crown that fits. CEREC is also minimally invasive, so we save more of your original tooth in the process. - Saves you money
Fewer visits mean fewer expenses, fewer materials, and less missed work. Eliminate the extra temporary step and opt for the modern solution that has been used by millions to restore their teeth. Even insurance companies recognize the savings, and you would be surprised to see how often same-day visits cut down on your insurance expenses.
The procedure
If you’ve ever seen a 3-D printer at work, you get the idea of how this process works:
Step 1. Imaging. We capture a 3D image of your tooth with a specialized camera.
Step 2. 3D Modeling. A 3D model of your teeth and your crown is created on the computer.
Step 3. Fabrication. The crown is then fabricated from a ceramic block on our milling machine, right in our office. The machine takes the model and creates a 3-D tooth out of ceramic. This process only takes about 15 minutes.
Step 4. Placement. The dentist places the custom-fit crown during the same visit.
The team at Wolter Advanced Dental Care is trained in this quick, convenient solution to improve your smile.
