Broken Tooth Restoration Using CEREC Technology
Cerec dental crowns offer real benefits for our Epsom patients.
When a patient comes to us with a broken tooth, we always look at all the available options for restoring it.
This could be a simple filling where the breakage is minor, or a more extensive repair using our natural white coloured fillings. For larger breaks though, it is likely that a filling would not restore the tooth effectively enough. In these instances, the use of a dental crown is one of the most likely options to be considered.
Dental crowns are a long standing method of restoring a badly broken tooth, and the procedure hasn’t changed a great deal over the years. The broken tooth is first of all shaped in a way that allows a crown to be attached. Impressions are then taken of the prepared tooth and these are sent off to a dental laboratory for the crown to be made; a process that takes a week or two and requires two visits to the dentist ……… except, at The Clocktower Dental Clinic, it doesn’t!
Modern, patient-friendly dental care
Our Epsom dental team believe in making the patient experience as positive as possible, and, to this end, we invest in modern equipment that offers value for money both in improving patient care and improving the end product. With the use of the CEREC system that we have here on site, we believe that we have achieved this.
CEREC is a system that allows us to produce same-day dental crowns that are just as good, and it is now believed by some, even better quality than those produced at a specialist dental laboratory. The system is entirely computerised and also does away with the need for impressions, something which those who find them a little uncomfortable will, no doubt, be pleased to hear.
To produce the crowns, digital scans are taken of the prepared teeth and this information is then fed into a computer. This information allows the technology that physically produces the crown to, literally, whirr into action. For those curious to see how this happens, there is an short, and rather beautiful to watch, video on YouTube here. Essentially though, the information supplied enables a single block of ceramic to be milled to the exact specification of your required crown. Once this has been prepared, it is then attached to your prepared tooth using a strong dental adhesive, as would be the case with a regular crown.
Advantages for the patient
The most immediate and obvious benefit to the patient receiving a crown in this way is that the preparation and fitting of the crown can be done in a single visit to our Epsom dental clinic, something that is often very beneficial for those with busy lives. This means that, in addition to not having to wait, there is no need to fit a temporary crown for a week or so whilst the final ones are being made.
CEREC means that the crown can be made in approximately one hour. During this time, you may wish to read or watch TV in our waiting room or feel free to take a walk and come back a little later to have the crown fitted.
The other advantage is that, increasingly, studies have found CEREC produced crowns to offer a greater level of strength and durability than some laboratory produced ones. Having them made ‘in-house’ also allows us to match the colour of your new crown to that of your natural tooth more easily.
Veneers, inlays and onlays
CEREC production is not just restricted to crowns. The same method can be used to produce veneers that replace damaged or discoloured tooth enamel. Similarly, where a tooth is very badly decayed, digital scans can be taken of the cleaned out cavity and ceramic inlays or onlays produced. These offer a strong and aesthetically pleasing option, especially on rear teeth, where natural coloured fillings may lack the strength required for regular chewing and grinding of food.
The Clocktower Dental Clinic is proud to offer this facility to our patients as a part of our belief in making the best use of latest dental techniques. In addition to CEREC, we can also offer patients modern developments such as The Wand, a needle free local anaesthetic procedure, Therazone, for faster and more effective healing and PRGF-ENDORET, for a speedier recovery following dental implant placement.
If you live in the Epsom area of Surrey and would like to see what a modern well equipped dental practice can offer you, we are always pleased to discuss with new patients. Why not make an appointment to come and see us, by calling our team of receptionists on 01372 720136.