Sheri L Lefty DDS  as printed in the Dec/Jan 06/07 Medina County Women's Journal

Many people fear their semi-yearly trips to the dentist.  The prospect of a cavity and dreaded reality of a filling weigh heavily on many minds.  Add in the possible need for a crown or veneer to repair damaged teeth, the dental visit quickly goes to the bottom of the to-do list.  Many recent studies have shown a beautiful smile is one of your greatest assets – a reflection of happiness and good health.  Now, thanks to recent innovations in dentistry, getting the smile you always dreamed of is easier – and faster than ever.

Cutting-edge innovations in dental instruments are requiring less time in the dental chair, causing less discomfort and creating satisfying results. One breakthrough instrument, called CEREC^®, allows dentists to quickly restore damaged teeth with natural-colored ceramic fillings, saving patients time and inconvenience.

What is CEREC^®? CEREC^® is an acronym for Chair-side Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. Translated, it means that a dentist can economically restore damaged teeth in a single appointment using a high-quality ceramic material that matches the natural color of other teeth.

How does the instrument work? CEREC^® uses CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design/ Computer Aided Manufacturing) technology, incorporating a camera, computer and milling machine in one instrument.  The dentist uses a special camera to take an accurate picture of the damaged tooth. This optical impression is transferred and displayed on a color computer screen, where the dentist uses CAD technology to design the restoration.  Then CAM takes over and automatically creates the restoration while the patient waits. Finally, the dentist bonds the new restoration to the surface of the old tooth.  The whole process takes about one hour.

What does this innovation mean for a patient?   A tooth-colored restoration means no more silver fillings discoloring smiles. The restoration is natural-looking, compatible with tissue in the mouth, anti-abrasive and plaque-resistant.

Dentists no longer need to create temporaries or take impressions and send them to a lab. Because of this, the traditional second visit has been eliminated.  The CEREC^® has over a decade of clinical research and documentation to support the technology. The restorations have been proven precise, safe and effective.