What are the Advantages of Having a CEREC Restoration?

Leeds City Dentalcare offers patients CEREC restorations. These are all-ceramic restorations that are completed in just one visit to our dental surgery, but what are the advantages of having this type of treatment?

The most immediate advantage has to be the speed at which the restoration can be made. They can be completed while you are still in the dental chair, and have an extremely good reputation. This type of restoration has been in use for quite a while, as CEREC technology was originally introduced some twenty five years ago. This means there have been a significant number of longer term studies conducted into how well these restorations last. After five years in the mouth 95% to 97% of CEREC crowns are still in place. After ten years in the mouth, between 90% and 95% of inlays and onlays are still intact. These figures are just as good, if not better than those achieved by treatments regarded as being the gold standard. It has also been shown that 98% of patients rate the results provided by this treatment as being either good or very good.

CEREC is an extremely versatile system that can be used to create inlays and onlays, crowns and partial crowns, and even small span bridges. The restorations produced by our milling machine are impressively accurate, and ensure all margins are sealed against bacteria. Dr David Brown or another one of our dentist in Leeds can create beautifully natural looking replacement teeth that give excellent aesthetics. Our particular machine is very fast, precise and quiet, and enables us to complete several restorations in one treatment session. This type of restoration is also a very good choice if you require a longer term temporary bridge.

Oral Health Benefits of CEREC

CEREC restorations offer a couple of significant health advantages over conventional restorations. They have been found to be very good for inlays, and are likely to lessen the risk of cracks developing in the tooth enamel as there is no need to fit a temporary inlay while the permanent restoration is being made by our dental laboratory. A study that compared CEREC inlays with more traditional gold inlays and laboratory fabricated ceramic inlays found CEREC to be superior. The fact that the restorations can be fitted immediately helps to stabilise the remaining tooth structure. This type of restoration is extremely conservative, meaning the minimum amount of tooth structure needs to be removed, something that is an enormous advantage.

How it Works

The CEREC system uses the latest technology to scan your tooth using a small infra-red camera. The camera produces a digital image of your restoration that is perfected by your dentist before the details are sent direct to the milling machine. The beauty of this system is that you won’t need to have any impressions taken of your mouth. We know many of our patients find this uncomfortable so this system is of huge benefit. We will have matched the shade of your tooth to one of the blocks of porcelain. The blocks come in a wide variety of shades and translucencies giving very natural results. Once the restoration is milled it is characterised and stained, before being glazed or polished so you leave our cosmetic dentistry in Leeds with your treatment completed.

While this system is fantastic for many restorations, it is not suitable for all. There are certain times when it may be better to place a traditionally fabricated crown. This is something Leeds City Dentalcare will discuss with you at the time of treatment.

Dr. David S Brown

David is principal dentist & clinical director of Leeds City Dentalcare. Having graduated at Leeds University & at the Royal College of Surgeons, London, he joined the practice in 1990 & took over as principal in 1992. He has a passion for ensuring that we are equipped with the very latest & finest equipment available securing our place as one of the best equipped practices in Yorkshire.

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What are CEREC Restorations?

You may already know about CEREC, or might have heard it mentioned when visiting Leeds City Dentalcare, but what exactly are these types of restorations and why are they so good? CEREC is a restoration that can be completed in just one visit to our Leeds surgery. This treatment can be used for crowns, veneers and inlays and onlays. It’s not something that is available everywhere, and it does use some pretty high-tech equipment. It is the perfect way to have a new porcelain restoration fitted really quickly, as normally these types of restorations take at least two weeks to complete.

How Does This Technology Work?

Your tooth will need to be prepared by Dr David Brown or another of our dentists here in our Leeds surgery in exactly the same way as it would for a normal restoration. Once your tooth is prepared the usual procedure would be to take an impression of your mouth, but in the case of CEREC restorations we simply take a digital image using a specialised camera. This image is converted into a computerised model which is used by our dentists in Leeds to design your restoration. The next step is to send this information to a milling machine which is right here in our Leeds surgery. Your new tooth is milled out of a single block of ceramic material, a process that can take up to half an hour to complete. The ceramic block is pre-shaded and will have been matched to your existing teeth. Once the milling machine has completed your new restoration then it will be finished and stained by our dentists before being polished or glazed to give a very natural looking false tooth. The final result is a precision made restoration that will exactly fit your prepared tooth, and which can then be cemented into place.

Advantages of Choosing a CEREC Restoration

The main advantage of choosing this type of restoration has to be its sheer speed. It is perfect if you need a replacement tooth in a hurry, especially as you’ll only need to visit our Leeds surgery the once. Another advantage is that you’ll only need to have one anaesthetic injection to complete the treatment, and you will not need to put up with temporary restorations that can sometimes fall out. CEREC restorations are excellent for certain cases, especially for inlays and onlays, or for crowns that are relatively near the back of the mouth.

When is it Better to Choose a Traditional Restoration?

There’s little doubt that CEREC restorations can be extremely good, but there are certain occasions when we may recommend patients go for more traditional restorations that require two or more weeks to complete. This might seem strange, especially given the fact that most people want to complete their dental treatment as quickly as possible, but traditional restorations can sometimes offer much more versatility. For example if you are having restorations on your front teeth you may be better off opting for traditional crowns or veneers. The reason for this lies in the way they are constructed. CEREC crowns and veneers are milled from a single block of material that only consists of one shade. In comparison a traditionally constructed crown or veneer will contain many different shades of porcelain that are able to replicate a natural tooth more fully. Each case is obviously different, and this is something we’ll discuss with you when you visit our Leeds surgery.

Dr. David S Brown

David is principal dentist & clinical director of Leeds City Dentalcare. Having graduated at Leeds University & at the Royal College of Surgeons, London, he joined the practice in 1990 & took over as principal in 1992. He has a passion for ensuring that we are equipped with the very latest & finest equipment available securing our place as one of the best equipped practices in Yorkshire.

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Dealing with Chipped or Broken Teeth

If you chip or break a tooth then it is a good idea to make an appointment at cosmetic dentistry Leeds to see one of our dentists. The reason for this is that dealing with a chip or crack early on could help to save the tooth. When a tooth becomes chipped or fractured, the immediate concern is whether or not it has affected the pulp or the central part of the tooth. It’s quite possible for a fracture to expose the pulp area, and this may cause sensitivity, discomfort or even pain as it will expose the nerves in the pulp. The condition of the pulp, alongside the amount of remaining tooth structure will determine the best course of action.

Dealing with Minor Fractures

Minor fractures often involve the biting or incisal edges of the teeth and are usually relatively simple to repair. In this case the most straightforward course of action might be to bond the tooth with composite resin. It’ll help preserve the maximum amount of remaining tooth structure while adding strength to the tooth. You’ll find dentist Leeds are concerned about preserving as much of the healthy tooth structure as possible.

Dealing with Serious Fractures

Serious fractures can often be caused by trauma, and treatment in this case is highly dependent on whether or not the pulp area is salvageable. If there’s any sign of damage to the pulp, then Dr David Brown or another of our dentists may recommend root canal therapy to remove the damaged nerves. This area is then repaired with a root canal filling. Unfortunately serious to fractures can mean that much of the tooth structure is gone, and in this case the best way to restore the tooth to full function will be to place a crown.

Vertical Root Fractures

These are the most serious fractures to deal with, as often there’s no practical way of saving the tooth, and extraction may be the best option. Occasionally it may be worth trying root canal therapy, but there’s often no guarantee that this will work on a fractured tooth, and it may be better to spend the money on having it extracted and an implant placed.

Porcelain Crown Fractures

Porcelain crowns don’t last forever, and occasionally porcelain fused to metal crowns may fracture. One sign that this might’ve occurred is noticing a dark line appearing at the gum line. This may be due to gum recession, or it could be due to porcelain fracturing and crumbling away from the gum line. It may be possible to make some temporary repairs, but you’ll probably have to budget for a replacement crown. Depending on the location of the crown you may want to investigate the possibility of having a CEREC restoration, or of having the crown replaced with an all ceramic crown. These often have a base made from a material called zirconia which is incredibly hard and unlikely to crumble.

Getting Old Fillings Replaced Can Help Prevent Small Fractures

Sometimes tiny micro cracks can develop around the edges of old fillings, especially if you have older style fillings made out of amalgam. This is because amalgam has a tendency to expand and contract whenever it comes into contact with hot and cold foods, increasing the risk of small fractures. Leeds City Dentalcare can replace these older style fillings for you with more cosmetically pleasing alternatives such as composite resin fillings, CEREC inlays and onlays, or indirect porcelain fillings.

Dr. David S Brown

David is principal dentist & clinical director of Leeds City Dentalcare. Having graduated at Leeds University & at the Royal College of Surgeons, London, he joined the practice in 1990 & took over as principal in 1992. He has a passion for ensuring that we are equipped with the very latest & finest equipment available securing our place as one of the best equipped practices in Yorkshire.

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What is a Dental Bridge?

Dental bridges are used to literally bridge the gaps created by one or more missing teeth in your mouth. It’s a way of permanently filling the space left by a missing tooth, and dental bridges in Leeds are cemented firmly into place and cannot be removed. We find many of our patients at our Leeds dental surgery prefer this option as opposed to having a partial denture that can move around or even fall out.

Bridges can be made out of a variety of different materials and consist of a crown or crowns constructed to fit over the tooth or teeth adjacent to the gap. The actual missing tooth is replaced by something called a pontic that is attached to the crown(s). Bridges can be constructed out of gold alloy, or they may have as metal alloy substructure that’s been covered with porcelain that exactly matches the shade of your remaining teeth. Nowadays more and more people are opting for all ceramic bridges that don’t contain any metal and which gives excellent cosmetic results.

Why is it Important to Replace Missing Teeth?

It might seem as if the reasons for replacing missing teeth are mainly cosmetic, but this wouldn’t be strictly true. If you have lost teeth it’s highly likely the teeth adjacent to the gap will begin to shift around into the space. This means you could be left with other unsightly gaps in between your teeth. It also affects the teeth in your opposing jaw, as without anything to bite against these will begin to over-erupt. Having one or more missing teeth also places unwanted stresses on your remaining teeth as they will be subjected to extra forces every time you bite or chew. You may also find it difficult to eat the foods you like, and this could have a detrimental effect on your overall diet as it’s likely to be less varied.

What is the Procedure for Having a Dental Bridge?

The first thing to do is to book a consultation with Dr. David Brown or another one of our dentist in Leeds City Dentalcare. We’ll need to give you a full examination to check the teeth either side of the gap are healthy and strong enough to take a bridge. There are several types of bridges that may be suitable, as some utilise both of the teeth either side of the gap, while others are only fixed onto one tooth, something that is called a cantilever bridge. There’s also a third type of bridge which is called a Maryland bridge and which is fixed onto the tooth adjacent to the gap with something that looks a little like a wing. We will also discuss all the different options for materials that may be used to make your bridge. All ceramic bridges do tend to be a bit more expensive than other options, but are especially good for replacing teeth that are highly visible whenever you smile or talk.

The actual procedure does require some tooth structure to be removed from the tooth or teeth adjacent to the space. You’ll be given a local anesthetic while the teeth are prepared, and an impression will be taken to send to our laboratory. It usually takes a couple of weeks for the bridge to be constructed, after which you can return to our Leeds dental surgery to have it fitted. Once we’re sure the fit is perfect it’ll be permanently cemented into place. You’ll need to take care to clean it thoroughly, especially under the pontic area as food can sometimes become trapped here.

Dr. David S Brown

David is principal dentist & clinical director of Leeds City Dentalcare. Having graduated at Leeds University & at the Royal College of Surgeons, London, he joined the practice in 1990 & took over as principal in 1992. He has a passion for ensuring that we are equipped with the very latest & finest equipment available securing our place as one of the best equipped practices in Yorkshire.

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Replacing Missing Teeth with Partial Dentures

A partial denture replaces one or more missing teeth, and usually consists of the replacement tooth being attached to a pink gum coloured acrylic base. Some partial dentures may have metal framework made out of cobalt chrome alloy. The advantage of this material is that it is very light and strong, so the framework can be very thin. This can feel less obtrusive in the mouth, and many of our patients at Leeds City Dentalcare find them easier to get used to as they can feel quite natural.

Choosing the Best Partial denture for your Needs

We do have quite a few different dentures available, and the exact choice can depend on how many teeth need replacing, their location, and how much you wish to spend. Some choices are more budget conscious while others are for people who want the very best aesthetic results.Dr David Brown or another of our dentists will discuss which type is most suitable for your needs.

How Long Does it Take for a Partial Denture to be Made?

The exact length of time taken to fabricate a partial denture in Leeds can vary, but generally takes approximately 6 weeks and will require several appointments at our Leeds surgery.

The process involves taking impressions of your mouth which are then used to construct accurate models. The dental laboratory uses these models to create wax bite rims that will be used by one of our dentists to take exact measurements of how your jaws relate to one another.

These dimensions are then used by the dental laboratory to fabricate your denture. If you are having a cobalt chrome substructure, then this will be cast up first and is used to construct a wax try in of the partial denture. The wax try in uses the same teeth that will be on the final finished denture so you’ll have a very good idea of how it will look and feel.

At this stage Dr David Brown or whomever is constructing your denture for you will try it in and make sure the shape and fit look good. Once this stage is completed then the denture is sent back to the laboratory for processing. This is where the wax is replaced with a strong acrylic base. The final step is to have it fitted at Leeds City Dentalcare and for any final adjustments to be made. Your new denture may feel a little strange at first, and you might find it slightly uncomfortable. It’s not uncommon to require a few adjustments initially to get the fit exactly perfect.

Caring for Your New Partial Denture

It’s important to keep your new denture clean, and to brush it every day using a soft denture brush and either dish soap or a proprietary denture cleaner. You shouldn’t use toothpaste on your denture as it is too abrasive and will damage it, as will any beach-based cleaning solution. Very hot water should never be used to clean your partial denture, as it could cause it to warp. Soaking your denture overnight in a proprietary denture cleaner will help freshen it up, or you may wish to store it in a little clean, fresh water. If you do happen to break your partial denture then please contact dentist in Leeds City Dentalcare and we will arrange for it to be mended. Please don’t try to mend it yourself, especially with superglue as this will damage your denture.

Dr. David S Brown

David is principal dentist & clinical director of Leeds City Dentalcare. Having graduated at Leeds University & at the Royal College of Surgeons, London, he joined the practice in 1990 & took over as principal in 1992. He has a passion for ensuring that we are equipped with the very latest & finest equipment available securing our place as one of the best equipped practices in Yorkshire.

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What are Full Dentures?

Full dentures are a way of replacing an entire arch of upper or lower teeth and are removable.In the past it was immediately obvious if someone was wearing a set of dentures, but nowadays modern materials and denture teeth can look incredibly natural. This is especially true if you choose our top-quality teeth that are made by Ivoclar in Liechtenstein Dentures are an efficient and cost-effective way of replacing teeth in a relatively short timeframe. However their construction will require several visits to our Leeds dental surgery.

The Procedure for Having a Set of Full Dentures

The first step is to remove any existing teeth you may have, and many of our patients fear we are going to leave them without any means of eating or speaking. In fact we will provide you with an immediate denture which is merely a temporary measure to allow your gums to heal sufficiently, enabling us to construct a proper denture. This healing process is necessary, as your gums will change shape during this time.

Once your gums have healed then we’ll begin by taking an impression of your mouth. The impression is sent to our laboratory so they can fabricate a special tray. This is very similar to an impression tray, but is designed to fit your mouth more accurately, and is used to take a second impression.

This impression is used to make a model of your mouth, and the dental laboratory will construct a set of wax rims. Dr David Brown, or another of our dentists here at Leeds City Dentalcare use these rims to records a precise set of measurements in your mouth.

These will be used by the dental laboratory to make sure your new denture has the correct dimensions so it is both natural looking and functional. They will begin by making your denture out of wax, but using the actual denture teeth. The beauty of this is that it allows any minor adjustments to be made very easily. This wax try-in is sent back to Leeds City Dentalcare so both you and your dentist can see how the denture will look. Sometimes it may be necessary for the denture to be sent back to the laboratory for some adjustments. Once you are happy with the appearance, and the way the denture feels then it’ll be returned to the laboratory for processing in acrylic.

The final step is to have your denture in Leeds fitted. If this is your first full denture then it’ll probably feel pretty strange initially, and you need to be prepared to spend a little bit of time getting used to it. It’s likely it will require some minor adjustments to make it fit perfectly, and we may request you return to our Leeds surgery a few days after your fitting.

At first you may find it quite difficult to eat and speak, and many people find it helpful to stick to eating soft foods for the first few days, and to practice chewing on both sides at once as this helps keep the denture more stable. In a surprisingly short while they should feel just like your own teeth, and a well-made denture can help create a more youthful appearance. It’s still important to schedule regular checkups with our dentist Leeds, even if you don’t have any teeth remaining as will still want to screen you for any other signs of disease. You should bring your denture with you at every appointment so we can check the fit and function. Dentures generally need replacing every 3 to 6 years as the shape of your gums will gradually change over this period.

Dr. David S Brown

David is principal dentist & clinical director of Leeds City Dentalcare. Having graduated at Leeds University & at the Royal College of Surgeons, London, he joined the practice in 1990 & took over as principal in 1992. He has a passion for ensuring that we are equipped with the very latest & finest equipment available securing our place as one of the best equipped practices in Yorkshire.

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Which Type of Crown is best?

Dental crowns are sometimes called caps, and are used to restore teeth that are significantly decayed, or which have lost tooth material due to trauma to full function. This is a conservative dental treatment that helps to preserve the remaining tooth structure. Leeds City Dentalcare can provide crowns made out of several different dental materials. They can be made out of gold, or they can be made out of a metal alloy that’s been covered with porcelain. The newest types of crowns are made out of all ceramic materials and are perfect for cosmetic makeovers.

Which Type of Crown is best?

Some people still prefer to have a gold crown, especially if it’s right at the back of the mouth and can’t really be seen, but many prefer something that blends in with their natural teeth. One choice is to opt for a crown that has a metal alloy substructure that is subsequently covered with porcelain. These create reasonably good aesthetic results, but often lack the translucency seen in natural teeth. This is because the metal substructure has to be covered with porcelain that’s quite thick and opaque, and while this prevents the metal colour from showing through, it also prevents the light from passing through the crown. Another problem that may happen with porcelain fused to metal crowns is that there can often be a grey area or line at the junction where the tooth meets the gum. This occurs because the porcelain is simply too thin in this area to be able to block out the metal.

All-Ceramic Crowns

In comparison all ceramic crowns don’t exhibit any of these problems. The light is able to pass through the crown in a way that is extremely similar to natural teeth. This gives the crown a translucency and vitality that is very similar to natural teeth. Even better, the modern materials used to make these crowns are extremely strong. Many have a substructure made out of a material called zirconia. Other types of all ceramic crowns are made from an ingot of ceramic material that is pressed under vacuum. These kinds of crowns are made at our dental laboratory, and require more than one visit to our Leeds surgery to complete. However Leeds City Dentalcare does offer an alternative type of all-ceramic crown which is made on our premises, and which can be completed in just one visit.

CEREC Crowns

CEREC crowns are pretty amazing, as this system uses the very latest CAD/CAM technology to create a precision-fit crown within a very short space of time. Your tooth is scanned using a tiny infrared camera and the information is sent to highly specialised software that enables Dr. David Brown or another dentist in Leeds to create a virtual crown. After this the information is sent to a machine that mills the crown out of a single block of porcelain. These blocks come in a huge variety of shades and translucencies so in a short space of time you’ll have a beautiful new crown that accurately matches your existing teeth.

Although this system is extremely good, we may not recommend this type of crown in Leeds for all teeth. It is perfect for restoring molars and premolars (the teeth used for chewing), but if you require crowns right in the front of your mouth we may be able to get better results through using conventional all-ceramic crowns, as the shading can be more precise and is more easily customised to create a naturally beautiful smile.

Dr. David S Brown

David is principal dentist & clinical director of Leeds City Dentalcare. Having graduated at Leeds University & at the Royal College of Surgeons, London, he joined the practice in 1990 & took over as principal in 1992. He has a passion for ensuring that we are equipped with the very latest & finest equipment available securing our place as one of the best equipped practices in Yorkshire.

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