Same-Day CEREC Crowns
Lakefront Family Dentistry is committed to providing patients with the highest quality dental services throughout Riverside County and the Inland Empire. Therefore, the practice recently bought a second Primescan machine—part of an ongoing effort to expand the practice’s CEREC cosmetic dentistry capabilities.
“With the purchase of this equipment, we can expand our same-day dentistry services, which includes same-day crowns,” said Dr. Mark Phillipe, DDS. “This allows us to offer more efficient and less invasive cosmetic dentistry services to our patients.”
Cutting-Edge Technology and Services
The private dental practice now has two of the most technically advanced intraoral scanners—along with two CEREC milling machines. The office is one of only a small number of dental offices nationwide that have invested in the advanced CEREC dentistry system.
“Lakefront Family Dentistry offers cutting edge dental technology,” said Dr. Phillipe. “In addition to our investment in CEREC dentistry, we have also invested in Solea Laser Technology; top-of-the-line, comfortable Adec dental chairs and lighting; and an environmentally-friendly dry-dental vacuum system.”
This gorgeous private practice also offers conscious oral sedation for patients suffering from dental anxiety. In addition, Stella—the office’s therapy dog—is often on hand to help relieve patient anxiety. Dr. Phillipe, DDS is currently training Nilla, a Mini-Goldendoodle, to join the team as a dental therapy dog.
Our Lake Elsinore dental office offers a full array of cosmetic dentistry services, including: CEREC crowns; Invisalign; porcelain veneers; dental bridge; white tooth fillings, teeth whitening, root canal and titanium dental implants.
Dental hygiene services include professional teeth cleaning, in addition to advanced periodontal and gum disease treatment with four registered dental hygienists. Frenectomies are completed in seconds using the Solea Laser.
Dr. Mark Phillipe, DDS, and Dr. Derek Hauser, DDS, provide adult and pediatric dentistry services to meet the needs and ages of every member of the family.
CEREC Cosmetic Dentistry Explained
CEREC is an acronym for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. In the simplest terms, the CEREC system uses computer-aided design (CAD) software and equipment to create dental restorations such as crowns, veneers, inlays, and onlays. The CEREC system allows these restorations to be created in the dental office rather than sending plaster molds to an outside laboratory.
Before CEREC dentistry, making dental crowns or veneers involved many visits to the dental office and the use of plaster molds that were sticky, goopy, and messy. The CEREC system eliminates the use of plaster molds and outside laboratories by allowing the dentists to digitally design custom-fit crowns and veneers in the office—often in as little as a day. Veneers can take a few more visits.
The CEREC System at a Glance
The CEREC system is comprised of three major components: a camera/scanner, CAD software, and a milling machine.
- Camera: The Primescan is the camera component of the system. This small, hand-held intraoral scanner produces optical impressions of a patient’s mouth in crisp, photorealistic detail. The high-quality images are possible because Primescan uses a Smart Pixel Sensor that processes 1,000,000+ 3D points per second.
- CAD Software: The powerful CAD software takes the impressions captured by the Primescan and creates a 3D model of the tooth. The doctors can then digitally design the porcelain restoration to ensure it is a perfect fit for a patient’s mouth.
- Milling Machine: The in-office milling machine is used to fabricate the 3D model into the finished crown or veneer using ceramic blocks that are chosen to match a patient’s tooth color.
The CEREC Patient Experience
When a patient comes into the office for same-day crowns and meets with Dr. Phillipe or Dr. Hauser, the process consists of four basic steps. This process may differ depending upon how many and what type of restorations are needed. A patient requiring more than one CEREC crown or veneer may have a slightly different experience.
- Step 1: Examination and Preparation. During this step, the dentist administers an anesthetic and prepares the teeth for restoration. This might involve removing decay and failing fillings or crowns.
- Step 2: Scanning Using the Primescan. The dentist uses the Primescan to scan the patient’s mouth and take optical impressions of the teeth. This process is quick, non-invasive, and painless. The images are fed into the CAD software, which creates a 3D model of the affected tooth. The doctors then design and shape the model as needed.
- Step 3: In-House Milling. A ceramic block that best matches a patient’s tooth shade is selected and inserted into the milling machine to fabricate the crown or veneer.
- Step 4: Fitting and Placement. Once the crown or veneer is completed, it is placed into the patient’s mouth to ensure the dental restoration fits comfortably. The crown or veneer is then polished and bonded to the tooth using quality dental adhesive.
How CEREC Cosmetic Dentistry Benefits Patients
CEREC dentistry offers patients numerous benefits over other methods of creating dental crowns and veneers. Here are some of the advantages of having dental crowns and veneers created with the CEREC system.
- Less Invasive. The scans performed with the Primescan are faster and easier. The small, hand-held camera is less invasive than the previous system, which relied on plastic molds.
- Less Messy. With CEREC dentistry, the sticky goop used to take impressions of the teeth are eliminated.
- No Gagging. The elimination of plastic molds also gets rid of plastic trays, which often triggered a patient’s gag reflex.
- One Appointment. Rather than the multiple appointments that were previously needed, most CEREC dentistry work can be completed in a single visit. Patients needing multiple crowns or veneers may need several appointments. Veneers take more time to design, so Dr. Phillipe or Dr. Hauser will discuss the course of treatment and time required to make your beautiful veneers.
- No Temporary Dental Caps. Because crowns are created on the same day, there is no need for temporary dental caps, which can be uncomfortable and prone to bacteria leakage.
- Natural Looking and Safe Materials. The CEREC system uses ceramic to fabricate crowns and veneers. Ceramic is ideal for dental work because it closely mimics natural teeth and expands and contracts in similar way. This means patients get a more natural-looking smile without the risk of cracks or fractures. In addition, ceramic is free of toxins and mercury.
- Perfect Fit. The detailed 3D model is designed to be a perfect fit for a patient’s mouth. This means adjustments are rarely needed. All crowns and veneers are adjusted, if needed, based on the patient’s bite and comfort.
- CEREC crowns and veneers are quite durable, lasting up to 10 years or more, depending upon an individual’s oral health care.
Our experienced CEREC dentists at Lakefront Family Dentistry are among the top referrals for dentists throughout the Inland Empire. Call us at (951) 244-9495 during business hours or fill out the “Request Appointment” form on our website to meet with Dr. Mark Phillipe or Dr. Hauser.
