Serenity Dental offers Chairside Economical Restorations of Esthetic Ceramic (CEREC® crowns), a revolutionary new dental procedure. Traditionally, if crowns were required to restore damaged teeth, multiple procedures and a great deal of waiting time in-between would be inevitable. 

At Serenity Dental in Woodbury, Dr. Ellie Mahmoodi and Dr. Amanda Elbert have received special training in CEREC® technology. Both of our dentists can create ceramic restorations in minutes. This means that many treatments can be completed in just a single visit to our office.

CEREC® is comprised of several computer-assisted design (CAD) tools and a milling machine that creates custom ceramic restorations. Patients benefit from the reduced cost and time of this treatment.

Why choose CEREC® crowns?

Dr. Ellie Mahmoodi and Dr. Amanda Elbert use CEREC® to treat almost anyone needing a ceramic restoration. Exceptions include patients who have a prior history of breaking ceramic devices and those with a deep bite. CEREC® devices are proven to last for over 5 years, but recent research indicates that most CEREC®-created restorations last for more than 10 years.

Advantages of CEREC® restorations:

• No temporary restorations.
• High-quality ceramic products.
• Minimal invasiveness.
• Less injections and discomfort.
• Fewer dental visits.
• Cost effectiveness.
• More natural tooth is saved.
• Long lasting restorations.
• Biocompatible solutions.
• No messy impressions.

What is the CEREC® system comprised of?

The CEREC® System is sometimes called a CAD-CAM system. Dr. Ellie Mahmoodi and Amanda Elbert have completed advanced training courses using this system. CAD-CAM means Computer Assisted Design and Computer Assisted Milling. The CEREC® system has three major components:

Acquisition device: This device is home to a high-quality camera and a medical grade computer. The function of this unit is to photograph the prepared tooth. Three-dimensional images are created of the tooth on the screen, which the dentist uses to design the perfect ceramic restoration.

Three-dimensional CAD software: This software allows Serenity Dental Woodbury’s  specially trained dentists to examine the tooth from every angle. It is the closest possible thing to holding the tooth in the hands and rotating it.

Milling device at Serenity Dental Woodbury: This unit actually manufactures the custom restoration from the specifications entered into the computer. A ceramic block that best resembles the existing tooth color is chosen and placed into the unit. This unit is right inside Serenity Dental Woodbury, so within minutes, the milling device produces the restoration the dentist designed.

What can I expect during a CEREC® restoration procedure?

The first step in the procedure is to prepare the tooth. Your Serenity Dental Woodbury dentist removes all tooth decay and creates a divergent occlusal axial wall, to make the opening of the tooth wider than the base. Next, an picture is taken by the licensed dental assistant at Serenity Dental Woodbury using a covering of titanium dust. This dust allows the camera to take a highly detailed picture of the tooth. Don’t worry, this dust is safe to ingest and is actually used for to put words or letters on candies! Images are formulated with the CEREC® camera. CEREC® optical imaging utilizes an infrared wavelength.

The image is transposed onto the computer screen. It is here that your Serenity Dental Woodbury dentist is able to view the tooth from every angle and design the final restoration. When the design is complete, it is transmitted to the milling unit. Your dentist chooses a block of ceramic that matches the color of the teeth. This ensures that the restoration will be almost invisible.

Within 15 minutes, the full crown is complete right in our Woodbury office!  The restoration is made of compressed, rather than laboratory-layered, porcelain.  This enhances strength and durability.

Before affixing the restoration to the tooth, Serenity Dental Woodbury dentists will place it on dry to ensure it fits perfectly. It is then polished and affixed to the tooth with dental cement. The procedure is now complete and all without the need for a second visit!  The quality of the results is the same as the laboratory-generated restoration, but a great deal of time and money has been saved.

If you have questions or concerns about CEREC®, please ask us during your next visit.