Twenty years ago it would have been impossible to think that you could go to the dentist and have a false tooth or dental crown made and fitted during the same appointment. But thanks to new technology known as Cerec this has now become a possibility.

Cerec, introduced by Sirona Dental Systems in the UK, is a revolutionary new system that allows your dentist to make new crowns, veneers and inlays in just a single visit, vastly improving upon the old style of treatment which would take about two weeks on average.

Cerec works by utilising the new technology of three-dimensional imaging and digital x-rays. The dentist creates an image of your tooth on the computer using these new tools, replacing the need for dental moulds. Using this image, the dentist can then design the new tooth on the computer to incredible degrees of accuracy. When satisfied with the size and shape of the new tooth, they can then instruct an onsite milling machine to sculpt the new tooth from a single piece of porcelain. This will have been chosen to closely match the colour and texture of the existing teeth of the patient. This fabrication process can take as little as six minutes per tooth.

Once the tooth has been made, the dentist will make some final adjustments to it by staining it to match the other teeth and polishing or glazing it in a furnace. The new tooth will then be cemented in place in the same way as any other dental restoration. This involves preparing the area by removing any enamel that is in the way and maybe etching the tooth for greater grip. Cerec technology is now available from Basildon dentists, cutting down waiting and treatment times for all patients and giving you a same-day beautiful smile. Call 01245 268 494 for a free consultation at Advance Dental Clinic in Chelmsford.

The future of cosmetic dentistry has finally arrived in the shape of new technology from Cerec. Also commonly known as ‘chair-side restoration’, Cerec has revolutionised the way dentists are able to manufacture and fit ceramic restorations such as dental crowns, porcelain veneers and inlays for fillings.

In the past, if a patient needed a dental crown to repair a tooth damaged by decay or accidental damage then a dentist would need to take several dental moulds as well as a series of x-rays. The x-rays would take several hours or days to develop and the dental moulds were not always completely accurate. They would then need to construct a crown or inlay for the patient’s tooth in a laboratory using the x-rays and the moulds. This involved making a layered metal and porcelain restoration that could often take days or weeks and even then still require minor adjustments.

Cerec technology allows the dentist to take several digital x-rays, which can produce three-dimensional images almost instantaneously on a computer screen. This allows the dentist to create a perfectly fitting crown or veneer on the computer. Then comes the really incredible bit, when the dentist sends this information to a computer-guided mill, which can sculpt a new crown or veneer from a single piece of porcelain in a mater of minutes. All of this can be achieved in little more than an hour per tooth for a crown and significantly less for veneers. Combined with the use of resin bonding, it is possible for a patient to have a crown designed, manufactured and installed in a single appointment at a Braintree dentist. Compared to the old methods of crown dentistry, Cerec represents a huge leap forward and expect to see this technology in all dentist surgeries in the near future. Call 01245 268 494 for a free consultation at Advance Dental Clinic in Chelmsford.

There are two main types of veneers that can be placed over the top of damaged or discoloured teeth to restore the cosmetic appearance of a smile. Composite veneers are made of a resin and are made in laboratory or even constructed in the mouth during an appointment. The other type of veneer is made entirely from porcelain and is cemented over the top of teeth using dental bonding.

Although composite veneers are cheaper, they do not look nearly as realistic as a porcelain veneer which are specially designed to resemble tooth enamel. Composite veneers are more suitable for individual teeth that are damaged or for repairing small cracks or chips. When it comes to replacing a whole dental arc that has been damaged by staining or discolouration there really is only one option. Also, as technology advances, new tools are being developed to speed up the manufacturing process of porcelain veneers and with technology such as digital x-rays and Cerec, it is now possible to sculpt veneers from a single piece of porcelain in a matter of minutes.

Other modern porcelain veneers are incredibly thin, some the same width as a contact lens, which can be fitted over the teeth with no enamel removal and can be completely removed themselves should the need arise. They are in fact so thin that they can fit over existing veneers and other dental repair work.

As well as completely restoring the appearance of damaged teeth, porcelain veneers from a Colchester dentist also play an important protective role. Acting as a second layer of enamel they protect the teeth from decay adding another important barrier to tooth decay. Call 01245 268 494 for a free consultation at Advance Dental Clinic in Chelmsford.

This weekend one of my old gold fillings fell out leaving me with quite a large hole in my tooth.

My colleague James saved the day with an all ceramic filling using our CEREC machine and the tooth has settled down very well.

It was quite strange being on the other side of the fence, especially being numb for most of the day, I think my patients thought I’d been drinking!!

It was interesting to hear the comments on the recent ITV programme regarding the safety of amalgam fillings.At Advance Dental Clinic we stopped using amalgam nearly 6 years ago and have felt that the less amalgam put into peoples mouths and therefore the enviroment the better,

We have excellent alternatives such as CEREC for larger fillings and white resin fillings for smaller cavities

Feel free to call us if you have any concerns over the safety of whats in your mouth.

A patient from Ingatestone attended the clinic yesterday with a fractured back tooth. Unfortunately the tooth was causing severe discomfort and the patient had a Christams party to attend that evening. We decided to place a same visit Cerec crown to restore the natural form and function of the tooth. The porcelain tooth was designed and fitted in only 30 minutes and the patient left the practice able to enjoy his Christmas party in style.