Healthy Magazines

CEREC Crowns represent a CAD/CAM technology whereby patients are able to receive their crowns in 1 surgery and you don’t have to have a temporary crown placed. Until recently, CEREC Crown technology was not advanced enough to allow this to occur. So patients needed to receive a temporary crown and then a few weeks later the final implant would be fabricated and it would be received in a 2nd surgery.

CEREC stands for ceramic reconstruction, and over 25 million porcelain crowns have been milled since the technology first became available.

In addition to porcelain crowns, veneers, onlays, and inlays can be prepared using various types of ceramic materials.

With CEREC crowns patients are able to receive a new crown the same day, and that crown is very strong, durable, and it is able to be used the same day. The implant is placed start to finish including anesthesia, tooth preparation, impressions, ceramic fabrication, and implantation. The procedure involves grinding the tooth down, taking a picture of the tooth, sending that information to the 3-D technology computer, and then that computer designs the implant specifically for your mouth.

More specifically once the software renders the specific implant for your mouth, that information is then sent to the CEREC computer. This computer allows the machine to mill the porcelain crown, and the porcelain crown is then checked specifically for your mouth. To make sure that it was made properly for your mouth, the implant is checked against your bite, along with making sure that the appropriate color of the porcelain block was chosen to complement the rest of the teeth in your mouth.

The implant is fashioned using diamond burs.

The dental materials used for the crowns match the composition of natural tooth structure. So when hot or cold foods or drinks are consumed the implant material will expand and/or contract at rates about half way in between enamel and dentin. It also deteriorates at about the same enamel. Read the rest of this entry »

Not everyone is born with a great smile. People can have teeth that are too small or too big, that are crooked, have gaps, are stained or otherwise damaged. However, everyone likes the look of the perfect smile. Having imperfect teeth can impact your self esteem negatively.

Thankfully there is a solution to get the perfect smile you have always wanted without spending a lot of time or a ton of money. A well established procedure, veneers, allows you to transform your smile dramatically. They are the fast way to change the look of your smile in a major way. If you have been thinking about getting veneers but are on the fence you will find some of the advantages listed below to help clarify your decision for you.

1. Confidence – When you are self conscious about your smile you will tend to hide it by not smiling as often. This can impact the perception people have of you as it seems that you are often unhappy because you hardly ever smile. Taken to dramatics someone can even reduce the amount that they talk or begin to mumble in an attempt to avoid people seeing their flawed teeth. Once you have your smile fixed you will be proud to show off your smile so you will naturally smile more. This confidence will carry over and enhance many areas of your life. Veneers can give you this benefit quickly.

2. Ability to fix a variety of teeth problems – Veneers can be used on people that have crowded teeth or teeth that are curved which otherwise would not be able to be corrected without a long time and money investment. Instead of spending years with braces you can have a dentist use veneers to get a straight tooth smile.

3. Quick – Since the procedure is able to be done fast without going through invasive procedures people can get it done without fear of long drawn out and painful dentist appointments.

4. Younger Looking – Most people overlook this aspect, but when you get veneers your bright perfect smile will make you look younger. You will turn back the clock and can look up to ten years younger. Cosmetically your teeth will be straight and bright white.

5. Prevent further damage – When a veneer is placed over a weak or damaged tooth it will protect it from further damage. Giving the area strength will help prevent costly and painful dental procedures in the future. Read the rest of this entry »