Our CEREC Technology Can Restore Your Smile
Damaged teeth cause more than cosmetic damage to your smile. Without treatment, deep cracks and cavities threaten your oral health, putting you at risk for pain, infection, or loss of a tooth/teeth. In many instances, the best treatment is an indirect restoration called a crown. Dr. Wirth can help describe what a crown is by showing you a model in the office.
We understand that your time is valuable. Sometimes, dental treatment can’t wait and shouldn’t get postponed. We want to help our patients fit the dental care they need into their busy schedules. At your request, our Oak Harbor dentists can perform some procedures in a single appointment with same-day restorations. Using the latest training and technology for CEREC® treatment, we can give you a beautifully restored smile at our Oak Harbor dental office.
What Is CEREC Crown Technology?
At Whidbey Dental Associates, CEREC® CAD/CAM technology is a revolutionary technique to help patients restore their smiles. Our in-house technology allows us to fabricate and deliver beautiful restorations for you in as little as a few days.
Here’s how our CEREC process works:
- After we’ve treated the cause of damage, our Oak Harbor dentists will use the CEREC® intraoral camera to take a digital impression of your tooth. Patients appreciate that this digital option replaces the need for traditional messy impressions.
- This model is then uploaded to specialized software, allowing our dentists to design a custom ceramic restoration right in our Oak Harbor office. Once we’re satisfied with the design, we’ll send the design information to our in-office milling machine for creation.
- As soon as the restoration is ready, our dentists will place the restoration into your smile and check for a proper fit, color, and contour. Once our dentists are satisfied with the results, you’ll leave our office with a beautifully restored smile.
The Benefits of CAD/CAM Technology vs. Traditional Impressions
- Speed and Efficiency: CAD/CAM technology allows for faster turnaround times, as the design and manufacturing process can be done in office. Traditional impressions often require time-consuming steps such as making an impression, shipping it to a lab, and waiting for the final product to be returned.
- Increased Accuracy: CAD/CAM technology allows for digital scanning and design, which reduces the margin for error compared to traditional impressions.
- Improved Comfort: Traditional impressions can be messy and uncomfortable for patients, whereas CAD/CAM technology eliminates the need for physical impressions.
- Customization: CAD/CAM technology allows for greater customization and precision in the design process.
- Enhanced Communication: The digital design process allows for easier collaboration and communication between the dentist and lab, reducing the risk of miscommunication and mistakes.
- Increased Convenience: With CAD/CAM technology, dentists can provide same-day treatment to their patients without the need to send physical impressions to a lab.
Advantages of CEREC Crown Restoration
CEREC tooth restorations offer many advantages, including:
- Customized to seamlessly blend with your smile
- Eliminates the need for adhesives or temporary crowns
- Made out of durable ceramic material
- Preserves your natural teeth
- Provides pain relief with a quick turnaround
CEREC Treatment Options
CEREC® treatment is the restoration method that allows our dentists to provide patients with the unique, reliable restorative care they quickly need in just a few days. Thanks to this innovative technology, we can create different ceramic restorations, such as crowns, inlays, onlays, and ¾ crowns.
As a result, our team can treat a variety of dental emergencies and conditions with durable ceramic restorations. Some of the conditions we’ve treated with CEREC® restorations include:
- Deep cracks
- Deep cavities
- Chipped teeth
- Worn teeth
- Teeth treated with root canal therapy
CEREC One Visit Opportunity
If you have a broken or damaged tooth and require restoration as soon as possible, we can make that happen. Our CEREC crowns can be fabricated and delivered in one visit with prearranged scheduling opportunities. We’re happy to discuss and work with you on how we can make this happen to meet your special scheduling needs. Call our Oak Harbor dental office at (360) 675-6404 to learn more about this opportunity.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re unhappy with the appearance of your smile, a same-day restoration or CEREC crown may be the right solution for you. Ideal candidates for same-day treatments are looking to:
- Strengthen a tooth after a root canal
- Eliminate stains or discoloration
- Cover a chipped or cracked tooth
- Replace a missing tooth
There may be some cases where your dentists may not feel a same-day restoration is appropriate for you. In that case, you’ll leave the office with a temporary crown, and your dentist will schedule you back as soon as possible for the permanent one.
Unfortunately, regular teeth whitening treatments won’t work on dental restorations. Our same-day crowns and other treatments mimic the color of your natural teeth to blend in with your smile. They’re resistant to staining and discoloration, so you won’t have to worry about whitening your dental restoration.
If your CEREC crown has been damaged, we ask that you don’t try to fix it yourself and contact us immediately at (360) 675-6404 to schedule an appointment. Our dentists will assess the damage to determine whether your crown can be fixed or replaced with a new restoration.