CEREC
Cerec is a new digital way of making crowns and fillings. Using specialised camera and computer equipment an image is taken of the tooth. A fully porcelain (metal-free) filling is then designed using CAD software. This design is sent to a CAM milling machine within the surgery, and the tooth is restored with a custom fabricated filling/crown in about 1 hour. We are the only practice in Lisburn to have this 21st century technology »Further CEREC Information.
Crowns
The Crown of a natural tooth is that part of a tooth that is visible in your mouth.
An Artificial Crown completely covers a weak tooth above the gum line and can protect what is left of the natural tooth.
Crowns can be made of metal or porcelain or porcelain with metal inside for strength.
Bridges
A bridge is a way of replacing one or two missing teeth, it uses the teeth on either side of a space to hold a replacement tooth in the gap.
The conventional way to do this is to use crowns on the neighbouring teeth, and the procedure is much the same as for making a crown. Adhesive bridges don't involve crowns and can work well in many situations. They are much less damaging to the neighbouring teeth but can come out occasionally.
What will my dentist do?
- The tooth and surrounding gum will be numbed to make the procedure as comfortable as possible
- Your dentist will shape the remainder of your natural tooth so that the artificial crown will be the same size and shape as a natural tooth.
- Impressions will be taken of your top and bottom teeth using a soft mouldable material.
- The impressions will be sent to a dental laboratory where the crown will be custom made to fit your tooth by ateam of dental technicians.
- For the two or three weeks that it take the laboratory to make your crown a temporary crown, made of metal or plastic, may be fitted to your tooth to keep it comfortable.
- You can chew on a temporary crown but it will not be as strong as the real crown and sticky foods are best avoided.
- When the crown is fitted small adjustments are normally required to ensure the crown is comfortable to bite on.
I recently had a significant amount of work undertaken in connection with a replacement bridge and general cosmetic improvement. From the start of the process I was impressed by the detailed information I received regarding the recommended work and treatment plan and at every stage I was kept informed of progress. The professional and sensitive approach gave me confidence as the work was completed and I'm totally satisfied with the finished job
Before & After
