Nelson Ridge Family Dental Offers Same-Day Crown Technology

Nelson Ridge Family Dental offers same-day dental crown technology, called CEREC. Led by Dr. Paul Etchison, the Nelson Ridge Family Dental team utilizes digital impressions to create a virtual model of patients’ tooth to ensure a design that perfectly fits patients’ mouth and bite.

Patch: Tell us about CEREC. How does it work?

Etchison: When people talk about CEREC, they are talking about “same-day crown technology.” CEREC is short for “ceramic reconstruction,” or the rebuilding of teeth using ceramics. CEREC is the dental industry leader in using CAD/CAM technology to take impressions and fabricate dental crowns all digitally without the use of putties or pastes. An impression is taken by scanning the teeth with the camera, then the data is uploaded to a computer in which a model of the patients teeth is rendered. From that model, we can design a dental crown to our own specifications and then send it to our milling machine which will then create the crown from a single block of porcelain.

Patch: What makes CEREC a revolutionary technology?

Etchison: CEREC is revolutionary in the sense that it allows to do a procedure that would normally take two visits, in just one. In the past, a dentist would take and impression, place a temporary crown and then have the patient return in a few weeks to cement the final porcelain restoration. Temporaries can often fall out and be sensitive due a poor seal of the underlying tooth. Now, with CEREC, we can do all this in one day completely skipping the temporary phase. This saves the patient both time and hassle.

CEREC is also changing how we take impressions. For instance, impressions for orthodontic appliances or nightguards can be taken with CEREC, which can then be sent via the internet to dental labs where they can 3D print a model.

CEREC impressions can also be synched with Digital X-rays to assist in implant placement. More and more uses are coming out each year and the future of digital dentistry is really exciting!

Patch: As the world of dentistry continues to evolve, how does technology such as CEREC help Nelson Ridge Dental stay ahead of new developments?

Etchison: Owning a CEREC is a very expensive investment, but it allows us to deliver the sort high tech care that we want to provide. We want to stay on the cutting edge of dentistry to provide the best level of care possible. Being part of the CAD/CAM dental revolution is a major part of that.

Patch: CEREC technology has been refined over the course of almost 30 years. Can you tell us a little more about this? How far has the technology come?

Etchison: The CEREC omnicam is now the sixth generation of the machine. The older machines had a lot of nuances due to the technology and computers back in those days. Nowadays, the software, scanning and processing improvements have taken the technology to an amazing level or precision and speed.

The newest generation of CEREC, the Omnicam, is the first that combines 2D and 3D images to make a color digital model in the computer. The previous generations would create a single color model. This sometimes made it difficult to see where the tooth ended and the tissue began when designing your restorations. Now that scanned model has color, we as dentists can better distinguish where the tooth ends and the tissue begins.

Patch: What can new patients expect?

Etchison: New patients can expect to receive a crown that feels, chews, brushes, flosses and, most importantly, looks like a natural tooth, all in a single visit. If we are placing a crown because we are performing a root canal, the patient can expect to have the root canal and crown all completed in one visit, which used to take three and still does by a lot of offices.

Patch: How does CEREC improve the quality of care provided at Nelson Ridge Dental?

Etchison: It provides a world-class restoration using the best dental CAD/CAM technology available. It saves our patients time and provides convenience. It gives them the best that dentistry has to offer this day in ages.

Photo credit: Nelson Ridge Family Dental