The Scoop On CEREC: 3 Little-Known Facts About This Dental Technology
You may see the acronym CEREC in advertisements for dental services. You may even know how this dental technology allows dentists to create ceramic dental crowns quickly in their offices. The main benefits to patients of dentists who use CEREC technology are one-visit, low-hassle crowns that used to require several visits to the dentist. There are other little-known facts about CEREC technology that you may not be aware of.
1. It Doesn't Require Traditional, Uncomfortable Dental Impressions
If you have had to have dental impressions made before having orthodontic appliances or previous dental crowns created for you, then you likely remember the traditional dental impression technique well.
Traditional dental impressions involve the dentist placing a large portion of dental putty in your mouth that is likely to set off your gag reflex. These impressions can be so uncomfortable for some people that they require nitrous oxide sedation before their dentist can take them.
CEREC relies on digital dental impressions that allows you to skip the uncomfortable, traditional impressions. These impressions are made using a tiny, high-tech camera that captures photos of your mouth and then sends the images to a special software program. This program uses the images to create a 3D model of your mouth that can then be used to create your restoration. No gagging or discomfort required.
2. It is Now Being Used to Create Dental Implants
While CEREC technology was first used to create crowns, the technology works so well that CEREC-created dental implants were a natural progression of its usage. With typical dental implants, a metal post is first implanted in the jawbone where the missing tooth once was. Then you must wait several weeks, often as long as 6 weeks, while the false tooth is produced, and then return to the dentist to have the "tooth" attached to the post.
When implants are produced using CEREC technology, you still must have your posts installed before the false teeth, but you can then have the teeth installed only days after the posts are set instead of waiting weeks.
3. It Can Save You Money
It may sound shocking, but dentists who use CEREC can make your crowns more affordably, as they don't have to pay a lab to create the crown. They do have to pay for the machine, so after that cost is taken into account, CEREC crowns typically cost a very similar price to traditionally made crowns. Many people actually save money when getting CEREC, though, because they don't have to take several days off work to visit the dental office for the multiple visits required to obtain traditional crowns.
CEREC technology has changed the dental world. It helps people who lead busy lives and can't afford to take several days off work to have dental work performed and it makes the process of creating dental restorations more comfortable for patients.