The technology now exists to offer patients single-visit dental restorations. It’s no longer necessary to wait months for restorations and undergo multiple appointments. Same day crowns were unheard of just a few years ago. However, this cutting edge technology is changing the way crowns are installed, and how metal crowns can quickly be replaced.
To create same-day dental restorations, your family dentist may refer you to a specifically trained Prosthodontist. Prosthodontists are experts in restoration and replacement of teeth. After completing four years of dental school, Prosthodontists receive an extra three years of specialized training in an American Dental Association (ADA) accredited graduate program. They make smiles look aesthetically pleasing and make sure the teeth function properly.
To create a same-day restoration, the Prosthodontist uses a sophisticated intra-oral scanner that produces precise, three-dimensional representations of all the angles and surfaces of the teeth. The intricately-detailed scan can immediately be accessed on the computer touchscreen. This means the patient is not required to make old-fashioned impressions. Say goodbye to gagging on goop in horse-shoe shaped trays!
Once the intra-oral scan is produced, it integrates with the software program in order to produce high-resolution models. Each member of the reconstruction team can immediately access the data and images, which allows them to start the process of constructing the restoration right away.
When the 3D-CAD (Three dimensional Computer-Aided Drafting) software program is combined with a milling unit, this equipment is able to generate spectacular, metal-free restorations, using bio-generic approximations based on the surrounding teeth. The milling machine fashions the ceramic dental restoration with diamond cutters which are programed to follow the computer- generated shape. When the shape of the ceramic restoration has been refined to perfection, it is bonded to the tooth with resin.
The type of same day restorations that can be generated using this technology includes: bridges, crowns, inlays and onlays. Typically this can be done in just a few hours, while the patient is in the dental office.
Dr. Keith Phillips is a board-certified Prosthodontist who conducts lectures on implant aesthetics both to dental students and on the international level, to dental professionals in the field of Prosthodontics. Dr. Phillips believes it is essential to remain on the cutting edge of technology to ensure the patients at Distinctive Dentistry have the most effective dental treatment options available.
Call us to schedule your same-day dental restoration appointment. Our office is conveniently located just off the Freeway, In Fife, WA. We serve patients in the Greater Tacoma Area, and have many patients who travel from out of state because they want the best dental care available.