The dentists and their team at Bagley, Goodwin & Hrinda PC in Greenfield, MA, realize that you may not be thrilled to hear that you have a tooth that needs a crown. In your mind’s eye, you may see yourself missing work, driving back and forth to our office and spending hours in the dentist’s chair. Well, you can erase that picture! We have purchased the CEREC system, which allows us to complete your crown procedure in just one visit.
Traditionally, placing a crown meant scheduling two appointments: one to prep the tooth and set a temporary crown while the permanent was manufactured in a lab, and the second to cement that permanent one in place. With CEREC all of those steps are condensed into one conveniently scheduled appointment—except for the temporary, which is eliminated entirely!
The CEREC system includes a digital camera, 3D CAD software and a milling machine. With these three components located right here in our office, we can design and fabricate a crown in a matter of hours.
Once one of our dentists has determined that you are a qualified candidate for a CEREC crown, we will begin by taking a virtual image of your damaged or decayed tooth. With this step, we eliminate the need for an impression. After the dentist prepares the tooth, another image is taken to ensure the crown fits snuggly over your tooth. The tooth must be prepared not only to remove decay, but also to reduce its size; the smaller tooth allows for a comfortable crown that fits seamless next to your other teeth.
These images are sent to the 3D CAD software where they become a virtual representation of your tooth. Although virtual, this becomes the basis for the physical construction of your same day crown. As such, this representation includes the shape, size and color of the CEREC crown.
From the computer, the design moves to the CEREC milling unit in our Greenfield dental office. Here, your customized crown is milled from either porcelain or composite resin materials in 15 to 20 minutes. For a more natural finish, the same day crown dentist may also stain or glaze the crown.
Finally, the dentist examines the finished crown and adhesively bonds the restoration to your prepared tooth. You’ll leave our office with a functional and healthy tooth in just one appointment!
Call Our Office Today
If you would like to learn more about CEREC crowns or any of our other restorative services, then schedule an appointment in our Greenfield, MA, office today. We welcome patients form surrounding areas including Deerfield, Conway, Shelburne Falls, Turners Falls, Northfield, and Amherst.