How satisfied you are with your crown or filling replacement has a lot to do with the skill of your dentist. When your procedure is done at Village Center Dentistry, you can also thank CEREC, or Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics/Ceramic Reconstruction. It’s a state-of-the-art machine that experienced San Diego dentist Dr. Jennifer D. Santoro uses to streamline your visit and create quality ceramic crowns and fillings on-site.
First Impressions
The computerized CEREC system eliminates the need to make messy tooth impressions and wait for a lab to send back your new crown. CEREC takes an “optical impression” by photographing the tooth and rendering the digital snapshot as a three-dimensional image. Working with this image, Dr. Santoro can then use CEREC to create a ceramic crown that will perfectly match the size and color of your tooth, or a ceramic filling to replace an existing filling that may be worn or loose.
Crowning Achievements
CEREC makes temporary crowns obsolete. Your new crown is measured and created in one convenient appointment. Your entire appointment should last nolonger than two and a half hours, with two 30-minute breaks while your new crown is fabricated.
Your tooth will be fortified by ceramic or bonded porcelain, materials that are not only strong and aesthetically pleasing, but also the best choice for creating a tight seal that will block bacteria. The material also mimics all the characteristics of your teeth — it feels completely natural and won’t grind down opposing teeth.
The precision of CEREC’s computer also means that your new crown or filling will fit precisely, so Dr. Santoro is able to drill less, and the healthy part of the tooth will be preserved. The traditional approach was to grind the existing tooth down to its base, removing most of the enamel. This resulted in a weaker tooth that was more vulnerable to future problems, such as the development of an abscess.
To schedule your appointment, or to learn more about the convenience of CEREC, call Dr. Santoro at (858) 566-8510, or email Village Center Dentistry in Scripps Ranch today.
