CAD/CAM technology is making tooth replacement and restorations faster and easier for modern dental patients. In the past, custom-made dental crowns were generally manufactured at remote labs using dental impressions taken at the site of treatment.

Today, patients visiting our office can have new restorations such as crowns, onlays, and inlays made quickly on site with CAD/CAM design and manufacturing. Rather than waiting weeks for a new crown, patients who visit our office can have natural restorations created while they relax in the waiting room. CAD/CAM technology is growing, but it is only offered at a few practices in San Francisco, making this one more reason why patients choose us for their dental care.

The benefits of CAD/CAM technology include not only convenience but also superior results. When replacement teeth are created this way, a high level of precision can be expected consistently. The quality of the result is unmatched, and the versatility in materials options means that patients can receive CAD/CAM-created crowns with various tooth colored restorations. The manufacturing process in some of our porcelain material means you can have a new restoration in under an hour, so you do not have to take a lot of time off your busy schedule.

The benefits of CAD/CAM technology at CitiDent are:

• Single visit natural restorations in as little as an hour appointment
• No temporaries for weeks minimizing tooth sensitivity
• No uncomfortable sticky impressions as teeth are digitally scanned
• No second visit with local anesthetics shots
• Dentist designed restoration instead of laboratory technician designed and manufactures restorations means less adjustments and more accurate restorations
• State-of-the-art technology with unmatched accuracy of fabrication

Dr. Amini, our San Francisco dentist, is a CAD/CAM certified dentist and belongs to the CEREC® Academy, which specializes in research, teaching, and mentoring the latest treatment options via CAD/CAM type restorations.

Although patients normally require at least two visits for placement of conventionally created crowns, this new CAD/CAM process lets patients have their treatment in a single visit. Time and money are saved, and the ability to choose very durable materials, such as zirconium, means that patients are less likely to need replacements later. A variety of other materials are available, and the advantages of each can be discussed at a consultation with our dentist.

At CitiDent, patients can receive the benefits of this process in a single visit and gain superior long-term results. Computerized analysis of the dental structure is used instead of dental impressions, and the need for fitting crowns over multiple visits is eliminated by ultra-precise shaping and sizing.

CAD/CAM Inlays and Onlays

CAD/CAM inlays and onlays give patients all the benefits of these restorative options without the waiting that is normally associated with inlays and onlays. In fact, only a single appointment at the office of Dr. Ben Amini, our San Francisco CAD/CAM inlays expert, is necessary to receive CAD/CAM inlays and onlays. Used to restore areas of chewing surfaces that are damaged too severely for reliable repair with standard fillings, inlays, and onlays offer a variety of benefits related to durability, fit, and appearance. In some cases, inlays or onlays may be recommended as an alternative to crowns for damage that does not warrant capping teeth completely.

CAD/CAM Inlays San Francisco

Inlays and onlays are similar to one another in their basic construction and function, but their applications and sizes differ. Inlays, the smaller of the two, are used to restore damaged or decayed areas that are within the cusps, or edges, of the chewing surfaces of molars. Onlays are larger and are used to completely cover damage that extends to the edges of chewing surfaces. In contrast to traditional fillings, inlays and onlays last longer and can actually increase the strength of teeth rather than decreasing it. Both inlays and onlays are constructed outside of the mouth before being bonded into the teeth by our San Francisco CAD/CAM onlays expert. Whereas traditional inlays and onlays were designed based on dental impressions, CAD/CAM inlays and onlays are constructed from 3-D images made with handheld imaging equipment.

CAD/CAM Onlays San Francisco

Our expert in CAD/CAM inlays in San Francisco begins this treatment by making computer images of the tooth structure. While patients relax in the waiting room, our CitiDent dentist uses these images with CAD/CAM equipment to construct inlays or onlays of precise structure and tint. Finally, our dentist places the inlays or onlays in the teeth. Because this process is completed in a single appointment, no temporary inlays or onlays are required.

With proper care, including daily brushing and flossing and regular checkups from our expert in CAD/CAM onlays in San Francisco, inlays and onlays can last for decades. At a consultation with our San Francisco cosmetic dentist, patients can learn more about this treatment and its applications.

Dr. Amini is a Certified CAD/CAM faculty at UCSF School of Dentistry, teaching this technology to the next generation of dentists. Dr. Amini is also an active member of the Cerec Academy, the largest CAD/CAM organization in dentistry.

To learn more about this technology and to find out whether it may be an option for addressing specific treatment goals, patients can schedule a consultation with Dr. Ben Amini, or any other CitiDent dentist at our facility.

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Creating In-Office Dental Restorations With Computers

Once upon a time, dentists – and patients – needed to wait weeks for a dental laboratory to make crowns and other dental restorations. Now, with an exciting digital technology known as Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM), some dentists are fabricating high-quality restorations themselves right in their own offices – in minutes! Read Article