CEREC Crowns IN APEX

CEREC is a type of computer-assisted restorative dentistry, which uses specialized dental CAD/CAM (computer-assisted design/manufacturing) tools to prototype and manufacture your dental crown right here in our office.
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Traditionally, crowns are made at a third-party lab after your dentist takes impressions and images of your teeth. The result is a very high-quality crown, but this process may take several weeks and requires you to come in for two appointments.
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CEREC allows Dr. Barker to use a handheld 3D imaging tool to scan your mouth, upload this model to our in-office milling machine, then create your crown from a block of porcelain, all in a single 2-hour appointment. Thanks to CEREC, you can get immediate care at Cardinal Family Dentistry for a damaged, decayed or broken tooth in Cary, New Hill, Apex or Holly Springs.

The CEREC crown process takes just one appointment at Cardinal Family Dentistry. The process will begin similarly to having a traditional crown placed. Dr. Barker will clean and numb your mouth, and you can be sedated, if desired.
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Next, she will begin removing any damaged or decayed enamel from your tooth, and she will sculpt it into a strong, stable platform onto which your crown will be attached. Once your tooth has been prepared, she will use a handheld 3D scanner to take images of your mouth and your newly-trimmed tooth. This scanner creates a 3D model of your mouth, which is uploaded to our in-office CEREC milling machine.
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Then, Dr. Barker will load a block of porcelain into the machine. Then, the CEREC machine will trim, cut, and mill the block of porcelain based on Dr. Barker’s design, creating your dental crown in just a few minutes. Dr. Barker will retrieve your crown, check to make sure it fits into your mouth perfectly, and make any minor adjustments, if necessary. Finally, the crown will be bonded into place permanently using dental cement. This entire process only takes about two hours.