Here at our dental clinic in North York, we are constantly reviewing and exploring the latest advances in dental technologies to provide our patients with access to the most advanced solutions and services. One such technology we use is called CEREC, which is a digital technology.

Cerec makes it possible to fabricate a new crown or onlay for teeth that are either treated with root canal therapy or badly broken down without the inconvenience of a gooey impression in your mouth.Cerec also avoids the delay of several weeks while the crown is being made at an offsite lab.

When using Cerec, the doctor takes a digital photo of the tooth that needs to be restored, either before and/or after the initial preparations to the tooth are complete.The restoration is then designed on the computer and made immediately in minutes in the dental office. This not only eliminated the inconvenience of having to wear a plastic temporary crown for 2-3 weeks but also eliminates multiple visits with multiple injections for the administration of local anaesthetic.

In addition to crowns and onlays, CEREC is a wonderful technology to use for other restorative procedures, such as veneers. Veneers are tooth-coloured shells which are attached over the existing teeth and help hide cosmetic imperfection.

Just like crowns, in the past, you would make an initial visit to have molds taken for each tooth where a veneer was going to be installed. Then, you would have to wait until the veneers were made and return for a second visit to have them attached to the tooth. With CEREC, your veneers can be made the same day and installed, so you leave our office with your new smile!

Other Technologies You May See At Your North York Dentist

Digital technologies, like CEREC continue to advance dental procedures and provide more efficient solutions. One such technology that is gaining interest in the dental community is 3D printing. 3D printing has come a long way from its initial abilities, several years ago. When it first appeared, 3D printing was costly, but ideal for creating 3D plastic models.

Over the past year, or so, the number and types of materials 3D printers can use has significantly increased, as well as the cost for printers continues to decline. Today’s 3D printers can print carbon fibres, plastics, and various metals. It is not unfeasible that eventually, dentists will be able to use 3D printers to print implants, dentures, partial denture plates, and other restorative artificial teeth replacements.

Furthermore, 3D printer output is becoming more detailed and precise. From a surgical perspective, dentists could essentially use the technology to create before and after models, with detailed output showing the complete nerves and tooth structures, where patients could see and hold actual replicas.

While 3D printing is not yet feasible in the dental office, Dr. Waldman uses this technology on a daily basis with outside sources such as Invisalign® (Invisible braces/orthodontics), nSequence® (Immediate, same day implant full mouth tooth replacement), Implant surgical guides and numerous other modalities.

For more information about CEREC or other innovative and advanced technologies we offer, please feel free to call Dr. Carol Waldman’s dental clinic at 416.445.6000 now to schedule a consultation appointment!