Have you ever wondered how a dental crown, bridge, teeth for a denture, or dental implant is made? Here at Pro Dental Dallas, we use a tool called the CEREC machine to produce teeth in our dental office.
What is the CEREC Machine?
CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. This machine cuts down on the amount of time it takes to create a tooth that attaches to an implant, used as a crown, or placed in a bridge.
How Does The CEREC Machines Make a Tooth?
A CEREC machine uses 3D scans from 3D imaging software that our prosthodontists manipulates to create a tooth that matches the shape and size of your missing teeth. In order for us to gather this information, we use the x-rays of your existing teeth. Then, our dentists use CAD cam (computer-aided design) software to determine what the tooth needs to look like to restore your smile.
The software sends the design to the CEREC milling machine. In order to mill the tooth, we will place a block of material in the CEREC machine for it to grind down.
Our staff selects a block of material that is needed to create your tooth based off of these factors:
- Material – ceramic (glass), composite (resin/ a type of plastic), zirconia (a very strong glass, but generally not as aesthetically pleasing as ceramic).
- Translucency – high translucency, medium translucency, low translucency. Translucency refers to the ability of light to pass through smoothly; think clear glass versus frosted glass.
- Color – there are dozens of different shades of teeth containing various degrees of gray, yellow, and white.
What Happens After The Tooth is Milled?
Once we take the CEREC crown out of the CEREC machine, we will cut it off the block and get to work on shaping it. Our prosthodontist places the tooth in a cast made from an impression of your mouth. They will grind down parts of the crown to allow it to sit in the cast.
Our goal is to reduce the amount of time a patient sits in the chair during a visit with this state of the art equipment. By using the cast as a guide, we can make most of the necessary adjustments before placing the permanent crown in your mouth.
After our dentists are confident that the crown is right, he will place it in an oven to crystallize it. This process enhances its strength and beauty.
This CEREC Machine Allows For Same Day Crowns
Since we have a CEREC machine in our office and in house dental lab, we can offer same day CEREC crowns in Dallas. Our patients can book a morning appointment where we will do an oral exam and get the information we need to mill the crown. Then, they can wait or come back to have it placed in their mouth. The whole process only takes about two hours.
Contact us Today For an Appointment
Call the office of Pro Dental Dallas for an appointment for your dental care. Our staff can set you up with a comprehensive exam where one of our prosthodontists will evaluate your teeth. They’ll give you all of the options you have to restore your smile.
We can’t wait to hear from you! Call now and we’ll book your appointment.
