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At Whole Health Dentistry, you are more than your mouth. We account for the “whole person” in all that we do. Along with our dentist, Dr. Cynthia Copeland, we focus on the patient experience – before, during, and after your visit. An exceptional experience at the dentist’s office is also convenient, comfortable, and stress-free. CEREC Dental Crowns in Santa Barbara, CA at our practice check all of these boxes, and much more.
CEREC stands for “Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics.” The CEREC system and process presents a high-technology way to replicate natural tooth structure. Natural teeth may be damaged due to decay, disease, injury, and other trauma. Dr. Copeland rebuilds damaged teeth with new tooth structure made from safe, metal-free, and biocompatible materials. She uses the highest-quality dental porcelain to craft the portion of the tooth that is seen above the gumline: the crown. This material, and the techniques that our dentist employs, result in a restored tooth that is both strong and looks like a natural and healthy tooth.
Traditionally, restorations such as crowns would require at least two visits to the dentist’s office. The first appointment generally involved preparing the tooth to be crowned. A sticky, putty-like substance would be used to take an “impression” of the tooth to be crowned as well as the surrounding teeth. Lab ceramists would then use this impression as a “model” to make your crown. The process of sending, fabricating, and receiving the crown takes weeks. So, often, a temporary crown was worn to protect the prepared tooth.
Once the permanent crown is ready and received by the dentist’s office, a second visit would be scheduled. During that appointment, the temporary (if worn) was removed. The permanent crown would then be placed. Hopefully, everything fit well, the bite was correct, and all felt and looked great. Otherwise, it’s back to the dental lab for the crown and this part of the process started over again. You’d return to the dentist’s office for a third appointment. So, the “re-made” crown can finally be “fixed” or cemented into place.
The CEREC system eliminates all of the cumbersome aspects of the traditional crown-making process.
Instead, after the damaged tooth is prepared and reduced to “accept” the restoration, Dr. Copeland takes an optical impression. The process is well-tolerated; an inconspicuous camera wand creates a digital model of the tooth and the surrounding area. This step can be completed in a just a few minutes. Using Computer Aided Design software, this digital impression is converted into a 3-dimensional model of the mouth. The information that is then used to build the tooth is very precise, which reduces the risks of the crown not fitting well the first time.
Using Computer Aided Manufacturing technology, information about the “virtual” tooth is sent to Whole Health Dentistry’s onsite milling machine. The new restoration is shaped out of a durable block of dental porcelain that is your perfect shade. So, it blends in seamlessly with the rest of your smile. The crown takes shape in a matter of minutes. Before you even have a chance to go through all your emails, your tooth will ready! If the crown doesn’t fit, feel, and look just right, no problem! It can be refined in no time. You can enjoy the look, feel, and function of your improved smile for years to come with good oral hygiene and regular check-ups and cleanings at our office. The new crown has considerable strength, due to both our use of quality dental ceramics and the “direct” techniques that preserve optimal natural tooth structure.
Whole Health Dentistry is elevating the dental experience and standard of care. Text +1 (855) 441-0001 to schedule your appointment with Dr. Copeland.