We are pleased to offer our patients the most convenient and aesthetically pleasing tooth restoration process available today. Time is increasingly precious, and we recognize that most people don’t see the dentist office as a favorite past time. Using the CEREC-CAD/CAM equipment we can provide a great looking smile to our patients in a single visit, letting them get back to the more important things in life.
CEREC is comprised of a digital infrared camera, a medical grade computer and a milling machine, all located on site at our office. The system allows us to repair a damaged tooth in about one and a half hours using tooth-colored ceramic restorations. The camera takes an optical impression of the damaged tooth, eliminating the need for cumbersome and uncomfortable impression molds, and uploads the image to the computer. Once in the system, we use 3D CAD (Computer Aided Design) software to design the restoration. Then the CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) system takes over to automatically create the restoration while the patient waits. Finally, the new custom-crafted restoration is bonded to the remaining healthy tooth tissue of the damaged tooth.
Restorations created using CEREC technology offer dental patients a long-lasting, esthetic alternative to silver or plastic fillings, crowns and veneers. Better yet, the patient can receive this smile-altering care in a shorter period of time. Traditional approaches often required a return appointment after the patient waited for the restoration to be manufactured in a separate lab. On-site milling eliminates the wait. CEREC® restorations are as durable as traditionally fabricated restorations and are similar to patients’ natural dentition in form and function.
This equipment greatly enhances the efficiency, accuracy and visual appeal of the restorations we can provide. Patients will benefit from more timely and more comfortable care that puts them back on track quickly. We are optimistic that the availability of CEREC restorations will help some patients overcome their fears when they see how fast and painless the treatment process can be. We believe everyone should have access to their best smile, and CEREC will make that possible for more people.”
CEREC has over two decades of clinical research and documentation to support the technology. The restorations have been proven precise, safe and effective, with more than eight million performed worldwide.
CEREC® is a shining example of recent advances in the dental profession and we at the office of Dr. Custis are proud to be among the first in the Black Hills of South Dakota to offer patients this new approach to tooth restoration.
