At Crowborough Gentle Dental, we continually look at how modern technology can make dental treatment more convenient and efficient for our patients.
Our decision to invest in an on-site CEREC digital dentistry and milling system came after a situation that highlighted just how valuable same-day restorative dentistry could be for our local community.
A patient contacted our practice with a broken tooth just one day before she was due to leave the UK for approximately six months.
After examining the tooth, our Principal Dentist, Dr Shrikant Kulkarni, determined that the appropriate restorative option was a dental crown. There was, however, an obvious problem: she was flying the following day.
With a conventional crown, the tooth would normally be prepared and the case sent to a dental laboratory, where the definitive crown would be manufactured before being returned to the practice for fitting. There simply was not enough time.
That experience raised an important question: could we bring the technology needed to manufacture ceramic crowns directly into our dental practice?
Following experiences like this, Dr Shrikant Kulkarni decided to invest in CEREC technology and an on-site milling machine at Crowborough Gentle Dental.
The objective was not simply to acquire another piece of dental equipment. It was to give suitable patients the possibility of having a damaged tooth assessed, digitally scanned and restored with a high-quality ceramic crown within the same day, rather than always requiring separate appointments while a restoration is manufactured externally.
For somebody with a busy working schedule, an upcoming holiday, an important event, or a situation similar to our patient who was about to travel abroad for six months, that difference can be extremely valuable.
CEREC is a digital dental workflow that allows us to design and manufacture certain ceramic restorations within the practice. For suitable cases, instead of relying on conventional impressions and sending the case away for laboratory manufacture, we can use digital scanning and computer-aided design and manufacturing technology.
The restoration is designed digitally and then manufactured from an appropriate ceramic block using our on-site milling machine. The dentist can then carefully check the restoration for fit, contact points, bite and appearance before it is fitted.
We take a digital 3D scan of the teeth to create an accurate digital representation of the area being treated. In suitable cases this avoids the need for conventional impression material.
The new restoration is digitally designed at the practice. The dentist can assess its shape, contours and relationship with the surrounding teeth before manufacture.
The digital design is sent to our on-site CEREC milling machine, where the restoration is milled from an appropriate ceramic material selected for the individual case.
The restoration is carefully finished and checked. We assess the fit, contact with neighbouring teeth, bite and appearance before the definitive restoration is fitted.
For suitable cases, this digital workflow can allow us to provide a ceramic crown on the same day.
CEREC technology gives us additional treatment possibilities, but a crown is not appropriate for every broken tooth and not every crown is suitable for same-day manufacture.
The dentist must first examine the tooth. Depending on the extent of the fracture, remaining tooth structure, decay, condition of the nerve, existing restorations, gum health and other factors, a patient may require a filling or another restoration. More extensively damaged teeth may require root canal treatment, a laboratory-made restoration or, where a tooth cannot predictably be restored, extraction and discussion of replacement options.
Our priority is not to provide a same-day crown simply because we have the technology. Our priority is to determine the most appropriate treatment for the individual tooth and the patient’s long-term oral health.
For us, investment in technology should have a clear purpose: it should improve the care we can offer our patients.
Having CEREC technology within Crowborough Gentle Dental gives us another option when a patient requires restorative dental treatment and time is particularly important. The patient who needed treatment immediately before leaving the country helped highlight a limitation of the traditional workflow. Rather than simply accepting that limitation, we wanted to provide our patients with another option.
If you have broken or damaged a tooth, it is important to have it assessed rather than assuming that you need a crown.
At Crowborough Gentle Dental, we can examine the tooth, discuss the available treatment options and determine whether a filling, crown or another form of treatment would be appropriate. Where a ceramic crown is suitable, our on-site CEREC technology may allow us to provide a same-day crown in appropriate cases.
For urgent problems, we also offer emergency dental appointments in Crowborough, with same-day appointments where availability allows.
Call: 01892 610 750
WhatsApp: 07415 977275
Address: Windsor Road, Jarvis Brook, Crowborough, East Sussex TN6 2JB
In suitable cases, yes. Crowborough Gentle Dental has on-site CEREC digital dentistry and milling technology, which can allow certain ceramic crowns to be designed, manufactured and fitted on the same day.
Yes. Our CEREC system and milling equipment are located within Crowborough Gentle Dental, allowing us to manufacture suitable ceramic restorations on-site.
Potentially. The tooth first needs to be clinically assessed. Whether a same-day crown is appropriate depends on the nature of the fracture, remaining tooth structure and overall condition of the tooth.
For many suitable same-day CEREC cases, the definitive restoration can be produced without the conventional laboratory waiting period, potentially avoiding the need for a temporary crown. This depends on the individual case.
Yes. We see both new and existing patients for dental emergencies and offer same-day appointments where availability allows.
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If you would like to make an appointment to have a consultation with our team, or if you have any general enquiries about the treatments we offer please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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