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Let's face it; very few of us have perfect teeth, free of decay and fillings. You can probably see a filling or two in your own mouth, which do just that -- "fill" a cavity, or hole, in your tooth left from the excavation of decayed tooth structure. In many cases, those fillings are made of metal material or silver amalgam and can go bad, weaken the tooth, or get additional decay under or around it. CEREC is a system used to not only replace these fillings, but to restore any tooth that is decayed, weakened, broken, etc. to its natural strength and beauty. The CEREC machine and its software fabricates these high strength all ceramic restorations once the doctor designs them chairside. Better yet, it's all done in a single appointment! So, how does the CEREC procedure work?

Exam and Preparation
First, Dr. Czaplicki examines the tooth and determines the appropriate treatment. It could be a simple filling, a full crown, or an onlay depending on how much healthy tooth structure is remaining. Next, we administer an anesthetic and prepare your tooth for the restoration, removing decayed and weakened tooth tissue. This preparation is just like we would do for many other restorative techniques.

Optical Impression
Then, Dr. Czaplicki takes an Optical Impression (a camera scan) of the prepared tooth. Instead of filling a tray with impression "goop" that you must bite into and hold in your mouth until it hardens, a camera is used to take a digital picture of your tooth. This whole Optical Impression process only takes a minute or two.

No Temporaries
Next, the CEREC CAD/CAM machine helps the Doctor create the restoration for your tooth. The CEREC 3D software takes the digital picture and converts it into a 3-dimensional virtual model on the computer screen. Dr. Czaplicki then uses his or her dental expertise to design the restoration using the CEREC 3D computer program. After the doctor designs the restoration, which only takes a few minutes, the Doctor clicks a button, and the restoration design data is sent to a separate milling machine in the office. A ceramic block that matches your tooth shade is placed in the milling machine. About 10 - 20 minutes later, your all-ceramic, tooth-colored restoration is finished and ready to bond in place. Finally, Dr. Czaplicki tries the restoration in your mouth to ensure proper fit and bite. The restoration is then polished and bonded to the prepared tooth. Your tooth is restored with no "temporary" or return trip necessary. All of this is done in a single appointment! Ask us about CEREC today.

"CEREC 3 CAD/CAM Chairside Dental Restoration System is Accepted
As a device for the Chairside fabrication of indirect restorations”
Council on Scientific Affairs
American Dental Association