Official Cerec Website

Onlays/Inlays

Introduction

Let's face it, very few of us have perfect teeth, free of decay and fillings. You can probably see a filling or two in your own mouth--which do just that, "fill" a cavity, or hole, in your tooth left from the excavation of decayed tooth structure. In many cases, those fillings are made of metal material and can go bad, weaken the tooth, or get additional decay under or around it. CEREC is a method used by thousands of dentists to not only replace those fillings, but also to restore any tooth that is decayed, weakened, or broken to its natural strength and beauty. Better yet, its done with all-ceramic materials that are tooth colored in a single appointment.

How does the Cerec procedure work?

First, the dentist will begin by administering an anesthetic. Next, he prepares the tooth for the restoration by removing decayed or weakened tooth tissue. This preparation is the same he would do for many other restoration techniques. Then the dentist will take an optical impression of the prepared tooth. Instead of filling a tray with impression "goop" that the patient must bite on, he uses a non-toxic, tasteless powder to coat the tooth. A camera is then used to take a digital picture of your tooth. This whole optical impression takes only a few minutes.

Next, the CEREC machine helps the dentist create the restoration for the tooth. The CEREC 3D software takes the digital picture and converts it into a 3-dimensional virtual model on the computer screen. The dentist then uses his expertise to design the restoration using the CEREC 3-D computer program. Within a few minutes, the dentist clicks a button, and the restoration design date is sent to a separate milling machine in the office. A ceramic block that matches your tooth shade is placed in the milling machine. About 10-20 minutes laters, your all-ceramic, tooth-colored restoration is finished and ready to bond in place. Finally, the dentist tries the restoration in your mouth to ensure proper fit and bite. The restoration is then polished and bonded to the prepared tooth. Your tooth is restored with no "temporary" or return trip necessary.

Why an Onlay and not just a filling?

This is a common question heard throughout dental offices. While an onlay and filling are both used to restore a tooth after decay has been removed, there are differences that help determine which procedure is right for your tooth. The main difference between an onlay filling and regular composite filling is the material used to fill the tooth. The onlay material which is made of porcelain is much stronger than the composite material used for fillings. The determining factor usually depends on how much tooth is left after the decay has been removed. For smaller amounts of decay, enough healthy tooth structure is usually left so that a composite filling is all that is needed. However, for larger amounts of decay that must be removed, the tooth structure can be weakened and would therefore benefit from an onlay. The strong porcelain onlay will strengthen the tooth and prevent possible problems like cracks or fractures forming in the restored tooth.

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