Design and mill many ceramic restorations in the dental office.

CEREC combines digital scanning, design software, and in-office milling.

After a tooth is prepared, a digital scan records its shape and the surrounding bite. The dentist designs the restoration on a computer, and a milling unit shapes it from a ceramic block selected for the case.

The restoration is tried in, adjusted, polished, and bonded or cemented after the fit and bite are confirmed. This workflow can allow eligible treatment to be completed in one visit and often avoids the need for a temporary crown.

Which restorations may use CEREC?

The system can be used for selected ceramic crowns, inlays, and onlays. Whether it fits a particular tooth depends on the amount of remaining structure, location, bite forces, material requirements, and the appearance needed in that part of the smile.

A same-day workflow is a convenience, not a reason to choose a restoration that is wrong for the tooth. The dentist will recommend a laboratory-made option or another treatment when it offers a better clinical result.

What the appointment includes

• Examination and imaging needed to confirm the diagnosis
• Preparation of the tooth and a digital scan
• Computer-aided design and milling of the ceramic restoration
• Try-in, bite adjustment, polishing, and final placement