My last blog started to talk about CEREC crowns and restorations. In this blog I would like to get deeper into the subject and let you know why we at Framingham Family Dental Care are so excited about this wonderful technology.
Traditional “porcelain-to-metal” crowns use a build-up process. The laboratory technicians first create a thin covering of gold or metal to tightly cover the tooth. Then layer upon layer of porcelain is baked on top of the metal to create the correct shape of the tooth. This technique has many problems:
1. You can see a black line at the gum.
2 .The dentist needs to go under the gum to try to hide this black line.
3. The dentist has to attempt to mask the metal from showing through the porcelain. However, even the best crowns usually have a vague yellow tinge to them.
4 .Because the crown is built in layers, the porcelain can fracture over time.
5. Adjustments to the crown for comfort and to correct bite issues can weaken and thin the porcelain. This also increases the possibility of fractures.
CEREC technology overcomes all of these issues. The CEREC process uses pre-manufactured and baked solid porcelain blocks. No metal is used with CEREC. This means that your crown is true to color and reflects light just like a natural tooth! Because it is built from a solid block of porcelain, there are no layers to weaken o traditional r fracture over time. The porcelain is formulated to wear like your natural tooth structure. Some dentists actually believe this material is stronger than gold or metal. It is certainly stronger than the porcelain in traditional crowns!
Stay tuned for more information on CEREC in my next Blog! CEREC is a wonderful technology, and the more you learn about it, the more you will understand why we are so excited to be able to offer it to our patients!!