Restoring Teeth
CEREC
In today's world, few of us have the time to visit the dentist for multiple appointments in order to receive dental treatment. At the same time, sitting for hours in a dental chair is not ideal either. One solution to this is called CEREC, a state-of-the-art machine that can make permanent crowns, veneers or onlays for you while you are still in the chair.
CONVENIENT
NATURAL LOOKING
SAME DAY CROWNS
WITH LESS APPOINTMENTS
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 to a CAD/CAM unit, which creates a 3D model of your new tooth.
-
The 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.
Life Benefits
​
-
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.
Whether it be due to dental decay, trauma or defects, restoration of teeth is a vast and complex within dentistry. There are a number of ways in which teeth can be restored using a number of different materials. Techniques and materials develop and change on almost a daily basis and we ensure that all our dentists are capable of using them all through thorough knowledge of the science in which they work. Our dentists never tire of researching and learning more about what is available within the dental market so as to ensure you are given all the possible restorative options out there.
​
​
Silver Fillings
Amalgam or silver fillings are a great and predictable way to restore back teeth. Whilst not being overly aesthetic, they are great for back teeth which can't be seen as they have strong and resilient making them perfect for withstanding the strong biting forces we place on our back premolar/molar teeth.
​
​
White Fillings
If you require a filling in your tooth, a cosmetic option would be to choose a white filling material that matches the shade of your surrounding natural teeth. You can also have any existing metallic fillings replaced with tooth-coloured or ‘white’ fillings. This will allow you to smile without a metallic glint in sight, giving your teeth a more natural appearance overall.
​
​
Inlays/Onlays
On occasion, a direct restoration sculpted by a dentists hands may not be suitable for large restorations on back teeth. Our dentists will prepare the cavity within your tooth and use an impression to transfer the information to our highly skilled and experienced lab technicians who will fabricate gold, ceramic or composite restorations which are then cemented into your tooth by your dentist. This allows larger more expansive restorations to be placed which have better contours and contacts for a better fit.
​
​
Crowns
Teeth can be contoured slightly to create a margin around your tooth. An impression sent to the lab allows the fabrication of a crown or cap that fits snugly over the top of the tooth and protects the tooth tissue beneath it. Again, gold, ceramic or composite crowns can be provided.
Meet Our Expert
Dr Hiren Patel (Prosthodontist)
GDC No. 193177
BDS MJDF RCS (Eng) MClinDent (Lond) MPros RCS (Edin)
GDC Registered Specialist in Prosthodontics
Dr Hiren has completed a 3-year post-graduate specialist training pathway in the field of Prosthodontics, a branch of dentistry that focuses on the restoration of badly damaged, worn or broken teeth and the replacement of missing teeth using implants, bridges and dentures. He has been awarded the Masters in Clinical Dentistry (MClin Dent) in Prosthodontics and has been accepted for Membership in Prosthodontics (MPros) by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. As a result of these achievements, Hiren was recognised as a Specialist in Prosthodontics by the General Dental Council (GDC) in 2015. Hiren is currently undergoing further advanced training in surgical implantology as well as undergoing a Postgraduate Certificate in Dental Education at the University of Bedfordshire.