We are Proud to Offer the Latest in Single-Visit Crown Technology! – *CEREC Primescan*

CEREC Primescan is a breakthrough computerized 3D technology and replaces the CEREC Omnicam with improved ease of use for the patient and accuracy for the dentist. This technology allows us to create custom dental crowns and veneers right in our office. By using this advanced technology, we can give our patients custom excellently matched and, superbly fitted dental crowns— all during a single appointment!

The creation and placement of a custom-designed dental crown is one of the most commonly performed treatments in dentistry. Dental crowns fit over the entire tooth and are typically used to reinforce a tooth that is heavily damaged or decayed. They are also normally required for restoring teeth after root canal procedures and placing teeth on dental implants. Crowns are one of the most predicable and long-lasting dental restorations.

 In the past, crowns and other types of dental restorations traditionally required a time-consuming process that would normally take weeks. With advances in the CEREC in-office milling system, that process can be completed in about TWO HOURS rather than TWO WEEKS!  No temporary crowns, no second visit to fit the crowns! CEREC crowns can be made right here at the Westlake Hills office of Dr. Michael C. Bell in a single appointment!

CEREC dental crowns also do not require you to have a physical dental impression, which necessitates placing a gooey impression material in a tray in your mouth for several minutes. With CEREC, the impression is taken digital scan and a digital file is created, then a computer program is used to design your dental restoration to a very custom dental anatomy based on incredible algorithms to mimic your existing natural teeth. The result— Westlake Hills dentist Dr. Bell will create a precisely fitting and natural looking dental crown.

CEREC crowns are ultimately superior to Lab made crowns. Studies show that CEREC crowns are more accurate than a lab-fabricated crown.

The process in which a lab crown is made has so many steps involved which can introduce inaccuracies from the initial impression to the variability of the laboratory techniques and skill of the lab technician. Even if all the variables in the impression and laboratory are as perfect as they can be, it’s still not as accurate as a direct 3D scan of the mouth directly into the computer, and the milling process is much more accurate in the fit of the final crown.

While the large majority of our crowns will be scanned and made ‘in house’, there are situations where the optical scanner may not be able to ‘read’ the whole tooth. So, if the crown must go way below the gumline due to decay or an old restoration that was placed deeply to begin with, the technique with impressions and temporary crowns will be necessary. This will be the exception, but will give the better result in certain cases where the scanner optics cannot ‘see’ below the gumline.

With CEREC Primescan, your restoration is scanned accurately within a few microns and then the crown is milled in less than five minutes.  We then will place the crown in our porcelain oven to crystallize, harden and characterize the porcelain to match your other teeth. The CEREC crowns often times need virtually no adjustments and is placed the same day. This is especially beneficial for multiple crowns as the computer will design everything as ideally as possible, taking into account the patient’s bite and current dentition, as well as the patients desires and Dr. Bells care, skill, and judgement.

The Primescan and CEREC milling technology is an outward sign of our commitment to provide the most advanced and comfortable care for our patients. It is a pleasure to be of service to you, your family, and friends

See if you are a good candidate for the CEREC crown.