Need a New Smile? Use CAD/CAM Options

You may believe it’s too late to have dental work done in time for that posh wedding at the Anthem Country Club or your high school reunion at Green Valley Ranch. However, your dentist offers an innovative way to a fast new smile. Your brighter teeth can be ready in time for any upcoming festivities where you want to look your best.

Ever since computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) entered the dentist’s office, amazing things have been possible. Here’s what you should know about teeth-in-a-day systems.

CAD/CAM Implants Have Been Around for Decades

The first CAD/CAM chairside restoration of a tooth was performed in 1985 at the University of Zurich Dental School. The dentists used a manufacturing device called the CEREC 1 system to restore a tooth in a few hours.

The CEREC 1 system featured a camera that created precise images of the tooth that needed improvement. Software allowed the dentist to design the ceramic restoration from the captured images. An onsite milling machine manufactured the actual dental prosthetic while the patient waited.

Over 30 years have passed since that first CEREC dental restoration. Today, CEREC systems have advanced with upgraded 3-D capabilities and new restoration materials.

One study performed in 2008 showed that over 94 percent of CEREC 1 restorations survived to the five-year mark. Over 85 percent were still going strong after 10 years. The CAD/CAM same-day system of dental restoration is a safe, proven treatment choice for patients who want quick results.

CAD/CAM Dentistry Is Convenient

Same-day dental restorations begin with a digital scan of your mouth. The cameras used vary by system, but most operate in a touch-free manner. The dentist or tech simply floats the camera eye above the surfaces of your teeth and gums to generate a computer model of your mouth.

Contrast this way of visualizing the mouth with old school methods where patients would have to endure uncomfortable X-rays where the patient must bite on cardboard and sit perfectly still. To make a mold for a dental crown using conventional methods, you need to tolerate the taste of gooey, gross impression medium in your mouth.

With CAD/CAM systems, a full-color, 3D model of your teeth is created without a lot of fuss on your part. Your dentist then uses computer software to manipulate the model. The software allows your dentist to precisely define the boundaries of your problem tooth and adjust the size of the implant to match. The process is convenient for you and the dentist.

CAD/CAM Dentistry Allows for Custom Restoration

When your dentist is satisfied with the shape of the restoration design, the design file is sent to a milling unit located in the dentist’s office. A CEREC or other machine starts with a brick of material and precisely shapes the brick to the design specifications.

Materials that are used for CAD/CAM restorations include:

• Feldspathic porcelain
• Ceramic resin hybrid
• Leucite-reinforced porcelain
• Lithium disilicate
• Nano ceramic resin

Modern materials mimic the luster, durability, and density of teeth. However, no material is the perfect milling substance.
Each of these materials has its advantages and disadvantages as far as the ideal placement in the mouth, the color, and the realistic translucency of the material. Your dentist will recommend the best material for your same-day restoration based on your tooth shade and the position of the tooth being restored.

CAD/CAM Dentistry Gives Speedy Smile Satisfaction

In-office equipment like the CEREC dental milling system allow you to have your new tooth in a few hours rather than a few weeks. The crown or other dental prosthesis is made while you wait. The tooth is crafted and fitted at the same appointment.

With other types of restorations, molds must be sent offsite to specialty labs where crowns and implants are made. You could wait weeks for your new crown to arrive. While you wait, you have to wear an ill-fitting temporary crown or dental device. If the lab messes up the crown, it may have to be sent back, which means you end up waiting even longer for your restoration.
Traditional dental restorations also require multiple visits to the dentist to prepare the molds and get the fit just right. Because of the lab wait and the extra visits, you invest far more time getting a standard restoration than you invest having a CAD/CAM restoration performed.

CAD/CAM dentistry eliminates the need for you to wear ill-fitting temporary caps and crowns. Once any significant problems with your teeth are corrected, your CAD/CAM restoration can be done with only one visit in many cases.

Some patients have scans made with the CEREC device, but they need specialty restorations that can’t be performed with the on-site milling unit. In that case, the digital scans can be sent to the laboratory for the custom restoration. The CAD/CAM system is also used for other dental procedures, including root canal therapy.

Get your smile back in a day when you contact Silverado Family Dental. Schedule a gentle examination of your teeth, and explore the options for same-day dental restoration of stained, cracked, and missing teeth.