CEREC is a modern way of obtaining the highest quality restorations that will look and feel like real teeth. This technology has revolutionised the way dentistry is done today and it has become the gold standard in level of care in many traditional procedures.
Do you find that those tired black amalgam fillings are ruining your beautiful smile? CEREC is the technology to overcome the dentistry of yesteryear. If you want a restoration that will look and last for many years to come, without the hassle of being redone every few years, then a CEREC restoration is the answer.
Traditional replacement of amalgam has been with a composite dental filling material. This is a plastic material that wears much faster than tooth substance. As a result, these fillings will wear quickly and need to be replaced on average every five to six years. As this material wears, the opposing teeth over grow into the worn area. When the filling is replaced, the opposing tooth needs to be shaved down to compensate for the over growth that has occured. This increases the risk of the tooth becoming sensitive. Additionally, when a white filling is replaced time and time again, the cavity becomes larger, the tooth becomes weaker and the likelihood of the nerve becoming damaged grows markedly.
Why should you replace old amalgam fillings?
It is unusual for both the Baby Boomer generation and Generation X to have visited the dentist and not had an amalgam filling placed. At the time of placement, amalgam was considered the most effective filling material due to its strength and it was very cost effective. Unfortunately what was not known at the time was how it would effect the tooth if left in the mouth without replacement.
Most patients hope that when a filling is placed it will last a life time and they will never need to see the dentist about it again. Unfortunately all dental treatments will need replacing. Composite white fillings should be replaced every five to six years and can even show significant wear after two years. Amalgam fillings should be replaced after five years as signs of cracking often appear five to ten years after they are placed.
Amalgam fillings are 50% mercury and as with a thermometer, the mercury expands and contracts inside your tooth with exposure to hot and cold temperatures. The enamel of a tooth is crystalline and is unable to withstand these moving forces for long periods of time.
The following pictures document patients who decided to have their amalgam fillings replaced, but unfortunately had left the decision too long. Both patients had no symptoms at the time of treatment, but if left any longer, bacteria would have penetrated through the large vertical cracks in the tooth and infected the nerve causing an abscess.
Amalgam left untreated cracks teeth
Replaced fillings with Cerec
Typical Baby Boomer generation fillings with amalgams
How does a CEREC work?
Once the preparation of the tooth is complete we use a special powder to allow the CEREC camera to take a digital image of the tooth. We then use a powerful computer programme to model the filling to fit the cavity and the teeth around it. The computer then sends a signal to a specialised lathe called a milling unit, which shapes the filling to an accuracy of 20 microns. The milling unit then cuts the filling, crown or veneer to shape. The filling is then tried into the tooth and cemented into place.
This technology means that there are no messy moulds that have to set in the mouth, there are no temporary restorations that can fall out and there is no need to have a second visit with another needle which could risk the nerve becoming inflamed.
CEREC technology can be used to make veneers, crowns and fillings.
Is a CEREC porcelain crown as strong as a gold crown?
Studies have shown that there is no statistical difference in the longevity of a porcelain restoration or a gold one. For years gold has been considered the most durable material that we could use. Now there is a more attractive alternative to give you a beautiful smile that will last for years.
