Technology is changing the word, and dentistry is no exception. Computer based technology has been making huge advancements in the dental world, from transitioning to electronic health records and digital x-rays to 3D printing dental prostheses and digitally guided surgical procedures. Digital dentistry has improved record keeping, treatment planning, and has made treatment easier and quicker for both patient and provider.
CEREC began digitalizing dentistry in 1985 and has made many advancements to their technology since then. CEREC is a computer system that helps provide dental treatment. It utilizes computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing or ‘CAD/CAM’ technology to create dental restorations. CEREC has a scanning camera that creates a 3D image of the patient’s teeth. Then, the CEREC software allows the dentist to fabricate dental prostheses.
CEREC can be used to create many different types of dental restorations: crowns, bridges, veneers, inlays, onlays, implant restorations, and removable devices such as partials, dentures, or flippers. It can also be used to scan for orthodontic treatment. The possibilities with CEREC technology are vast and will only continue to improve and grow over time.
Traditionally these types of dental treatments required physical impressions, which many people are familiar with. This consists of taking a mold of the patient’s teeth and bite using a ‘gooey’ material that sets over a matter of minutes. This creates a negative impression that is poured up in stone to provide a physical copy of the patient’s teeth. Restorations and dental prostheses are made from these models. CEREC CAD/CAM technology eliminates the need for this physical impression. Their state of the art scanner captures details of the teeth and soft tissue of the mouth very well. This creates a 3D image that can be saved within the computer. Dentists and lab technicians can use the digital software to plan treatment and design dental restorations.
A benefit of using the CEREC machine is that it eliminates the shrinkage or distortion that can happen with physical impressions and models. It also provides a much simpler storage method for patient records because images can easily be saved and accessed through the computer and can be sent to labs virtually. Since there are always updates in technology, using the CEREC allows for treatment methods to stay up to date. Best of all, it’s often times quicker and significantly more comfortable for the patient.
Here at Middlesex Dental Associates we use the CEREC Primescan and we are happy to answer any questions you may have about it. Stay tuned to this blog series as we dive deeper into the different ways the CEREC is used for dental treatment.
CEREC Primescan