What is CEREC?

You may have already heard the term thrown around – CEREC crowns, veneers, and implants… but what is CEREC?

For most patients, visiting the dentist is an inconvenience – whether it’s time off work, or the time to travel to the dentist, or simply the anxiety of visiting the dentist, minimizing the number of dental visits is often a good thing for patients. Advancements in science have enabled dental techniques to perform more work, faster, and safer than ever before. One of these techniques is known as CEREC – a technology that allows the creation of custom made ceramic restorations while the patient waits.

Certain procedures require custom ceramic restorations – procedures such as inlays, crowns and veneers typically require the dentist to take a mold of the patient’s mouth, and then send that mold to a third party lab to create a custom piece of ceramic for the patient. CEREC allows the dentist to mill that ceramic piece in the office. Using 3D scanning tools and CAD like software, the dentist is able to model the restoration, select a color of ceramic material that perfectly matches the patient’s tooth, and then create and install the resulting restoration in one to two hours.

With modern 3D scanning techniques, CEREC can be used in virtually any procedure where the dentist would have used a lab created ceramic restoration – including dental implants. The ceramic restoration created by CEREC is typically of very good quality – studies have shown that 95% of CEREC restorations last at least 9 years, with 85% lasting at least 18 years. While there’s no guarantee that any medical or dental procedure will be free of complications or last forever, success rates of CEREC are similar to traditional techniques, but faster, easier, and requiring fewer visits for the patient.

If you are considering a dental procedure where you’ll need a ceramic restoration – such as a crown, veneers, or implants, ask your dentist if they offer CEREC, and whether or not CEREC is appropriate for your individual procedure. While CEREC isn’t always an option for every procedure, it can be a great alternative for some patients, providing a great restoration in a very short amount of time. And best of all, you won’t have to ask “What is CEREC” if it gets brought up by the dentist. You’ll already be informed.

Call Dr. Graham E. Farless DDS today for more information on CEREC, 336-282-2868. Visit his Cosmetic Dentistry page to learn more about all your options.