Staten Island Dentists at Oakwood Dental use new technology to ensure accuracy of dental crowns

A rather amazing bit of technology enables one of the most modern treatments available at Oakwood Dental in Staten Island.

CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics or CEramic REConstruction. Both descriptions refer to computer-aided design and in-office crafting of ceramic dental crowns for patients. In just minutes, a camera scans a tooth and sends its images to a computer. Then, right from the office in Staten Island, a dentist can create a restoration for the intended tooth.

“Chairside” means that the system in the dentist’s office is programmed for all the steps needed to mill a new dental crown, and it can be done while the patient comfortably waits in the dentist chair. At Oakwood Dental in Staten Island, multi-visit dental crown installments are a thing of the past!

By electronically capturing and storing a photographic image of the prepared tooth, the dentist uses computer technology to craft a 3D tooth design meeting the crown’s specifications. The process bypasses the need for an impression, which would typically then be sent out to a lab. After refining the computerized model, the dentist directs the information to a machine to mill the restoration from ceramic material that has a coloration to match the patient’s tooth. After about 20 minutes, the restoration is finished, and the dentist tries it in the patient’s mouth. If the restoration fits well, the dentist can cement the restoration immediately.

CEREC technology makes it possible to produce and integrate ceramic restorations in a single appointment. Unlike materials like amalgam or gold, ceramic has tooth-like qualities, and digitally crafted versions are more comfortable and natural for patients. This technology can also be used in the case of dental implants to produce a natural appearing replacement for missing teeth.

Oakwood Dental offers the most current technology for Staten Island patients seeking a dentist who will provide the highest quality and most consistent results for their dental care.