Restorative Dentistry

Same Day Crowns and Bridges (CEREC)

In today’s world, few of us have the time to visit the dentist for multiple appointments in order to receive dental treatment. Sitting for hours at a time in a dental chair is not ideal either. A solution to this is same day crowns and bridges using CEREC. CEREC is a state-of-the-art technology that can make permanent crowns, veneers, onlays, all ceramic bridges and Implant crowns for you while you are still in the chair.

Here is how it works:

The dentist will prepare your tooth using a small drill.
A special camera is then used to take an image of your teeth which is then uploaded to the design unit.
This image is uploaded and used to create a 3D model of your new tooth.
This model is used by a milling machine, which creates your new tooth from a block of high quality ceramic that best matches your surrounding teeth.
The restoration is then fixed into place by your dentist.

Benefits of CEREC

Accurate restoration that strengthens and supports the remaining tooth structure.
Quick and convenient solution that means you don’t need an extra visit to the practice, have to wear a temporary fitting for a few weeks or get anaesthesia twice.
A natural-looking restoration that blends in well with your surrounding teeth.
If a large piece of tooth has broken away or when the natural tooth is very decayed or root canal treated a crown, or ‘cap’, can be the best option. Crowns are tooth-shaped caps that fit over the top of your teeth and can be made from metal, porcelain or composite material. Porcelain crowns are the most realistic-looking and are better for teeth that are badly broken down or Heavily filled teeth.

White Fillings (Composite Bonding)

Composite bonding is an increasingly popular cosmetic dental treatment and is used to improve the shape, colour and overall appearance of patients’ teeth. It uses the same resin material used for white fillings, and is most frequently used on the front teeth, which are those that show when you smile.

There have been huge advances in the materials used in bonding dentistry in recent years, meaning composite bonding can be used for disguising minor imperfections in the front teeth, closing small gaps and hiding minor tooth rotations, with no damage to your teeth.

Composite bonding is a comfortable experience that requires, in most cases, just one visit to the practice. Your dentist will be able to choose a shade of resin that closely matches the colour of your teeth, meaning that the results will look entirely natural.

This is how the treatment works:

Your dentist picks a shade of resin that matches the natural colour of your teeth.
The resin is carefully applied to your teeth, with no need for any work or damage to them.
Your dentist then carefully shapes and smooths the resin to hide any imperfections, for a result that looks entirely natural.
Once the resin has been shaped, it is hardened very quickly with the help of a special light.
Although composite bonding treatment does not last for as long as veneers, many patients find the treatment is highly cost-effective. It can also be repeated with no damage at all to your teeth.

Benefits of Composite Bonding

A natural, healthy smile that you are proud to show off.
No preparation of your teeth is required, meaning they remain strong.
Treatment can usually be completed in one short visit to the practice.

Inlays and Onlays

Decayed or chipped teeth can often be repaired with white composite fillings that look natural, however if the damage is too substantial, particularly on the back teeth, then an inlay or onlay would be recommended. Inlays or onlays can be made from a number of strong materials such as ceramics.

An inlay is a small filling that fits into the biting surface of a tooth. An onlay covers a larger area of the tooth and is better suited to bigger cavities. Gold was traditionally used for these types of restorations. However, in recent times hard-wearing tooth-coloured porcelain has become a more popular choice of material. This is a more aesthetic way to restore the teeth and creates a more natural-looking smile.

Here is how they work:

Thanks to advances in digital CAD CAM technology, porcelain inlays can be made at our dental practice using a special milling machine known as CEREC. This means you will need fewer visits to the dentist to have your tooth restored.