CAD/CAM Dental Restorations

With CEREC®, three dimensional images are captured and loaded into dedicated software so our clinical team can review the precise appearance and function of a restoration before it is created. Patients can also use this same software to get a sense of what the completed restoration may look like.

Dentists can use this same 3D technology to design precise shapes and sizes for restorations such as inlays, onlays, crowns, and bridges. In many cases, this approach can allow patients to receive a durable, natural looking, and well fitted restoration in fewer visits. The process typically starts with preparing the tooth. A digital scan then records the tooth’s exact dimensions and sends them to a computer. The software uses that information to design a virtual restoration for the area that needs replacing. Once the design is finalized, the data is sent to a milling unit, which shapes the replacement piece from a solid block of ceramic or composite resin. The completed restoration is then checked for fit in the patient’s mouth before it is bonded or cemented into place.