4555 William Penn Hwy • Bethlehem, PA 18020 • 610-866-0552

The CEREC Procedure:

Because we value 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. Our practice can now restore teeth with metal free crowns or ceramic fillings in one visit saving patients time and inconvenience. 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 tooth is examined and the appropriate treatment is determined. It could be a simple filling, or a full crown, depending on how much healthy tooth structure is remaining. Next, an anesthetic is administered and your tooth prepared for the restoration, removing decayed and weakened tooth tissue.

Optical Impression

Then, an Optical Impression of the prepared tooth is taken. Instead of filling a tray with impression "goop" that you must bite into and hold in your mouth until it hardens, your tooth is coated 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 creates the crown or 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. We use our extensive training and experience with CEREC to design the crown or restoration using the CEREC 3D computer program. Within a few minutes, your 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. Two diamond drills prepare a precise fitting crown or restoration out of the block of porcelain. About 10 - 20 minutes later, your all-ceramic, tooth-colored crown or restoration is finished and ready to bond in place. First it is tried in your mouth to ensure proper fit and bite, and then it is polished and bonded to your prepared tooth. Your tooth is restored with no "temporary" or return trip necessary. All of this is done in a single appointment!
 

Ask us about CEREC today!

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