EDMONTON DENTAL

Traditional crowns and inlays made using old-school wax techniques with cast metal, or sometimes a layer of porcelain is now becoming obsolete. Current Computer-aided Design/ Computer-aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology can produce similar results in a shorter length of time.

A Cerec machine takes pictures of a tooth using an optical scanner (camera). Then, the computer program designs a custom crown or inlay as a three-dimensional image. A milling machine then grinds a solid block of durable ceramic material following the crown or inlay image. Then, we adjust the piece to fit with your opposing tooth, finishing with a glaze and polish for the final fitting. In most cases, this entire procedure can be done on site in our clinic; however, it may take a couple of weeks if the tooth has to be designed at an off-site facility.

We expect this technology to become even more mainstream because of its convenience and precision.