What Is CEREC?

CEREC is a high-tech instrument that helps dentists restore damaged teeth. CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics.

How Does CEREC Work?

First, the dentist prepares the damaged tooth by painting a thin layer of reflective powder directly on the tooth’s surface. Using a special camera, the dentist then takes a picture of the tooth. No need to take a messy impression and send it to the lab. The dentist works from this photo, which is actually a pin-sharp optical impression of the tooth. Computer aided design technology helps the dentist design the restoration from the optical impression. The design is done chairside
on a color monitor. Patients can watch the dentist design the new restoration right in front of their eyes!

Then computer aided manufacturing creates the restoration while the patient waits. The tooth is milled out of a block of ceramic material that matches the patient’s tooth color. Computer aided manufacturing uses a high-speed diamond bur and a disk simultaneously to mill a precise restoration. The milling takes about 10 minutes. Finally, the dentist bonds the newly milled restoration to the tooth using an adhesive.

What Kinds of Procedures Can It Perform?

• Partial and full crowns
  
• Veneers
  
• All other single-tooth restorations
  

What Are the Advantages CEREC Offers?

• The dentist performs the restoration in a single session, usually in less than one hour
  
• No need for the dentist to make an impression and send it to a lab
  
• No return visits for the patient
  
• The restoration is natural looking, as it is made out of tooth-colored ceramic material
  
• Ceramic material is biocompatible, high-grade, anti-abrasive and plaque-resistant
  
• Metal-free—no silver-colored fillings
  
• Allows dentist to save more of the healthy tooth
• Extremely precise
  

Is This a New Technology?

No. CEREC has over a decade of clinical research and experience to support the technology. The manufacturer of CEREC has relied on user input and research to improve the product over this time. Over four million restorations have been performed worldwide.