CEREC® is a digital system that scans a tooth, designs a restoration on screen and mills it in the dental office. Redondo Beach Dental Group uses it on Artesia Boulevard, a short drive from Torrance, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.
CEREC is a registered trademark of Dentsply Sirona, and the name is usually expanded as Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. It names the system, not a kind of crown, and it is one part of the dental technology in Redondo Beach the office uses. The system is used to make dental crowns, dental veneers, and inlays and onlays. Call (310) 542-6988 to ask whether your tooth is a candidate.
How CEREC Works
The old way to make a restoration is a putty impression, a temporary restoration and a dental lab that makes the finished piece for a second appointment. CEREC replaces the lab step with three steps done in the office:
- Digital scan. A small camera captures the prepared tooth and your bite, so there is no tray of impression material to hold in your mouth.
- Design. Software builds a digital model of the tooth and the restoration is designed on screen, shaped to the teeth around it.
- Milling and bonding. A milling unit in the office carves the restoration from a block of porcelain matched to your tooth color, and your dentist checks the fit and bonds it in place.
Because the restoration is made while you are in the office, there is no temporary to wear and no second appointment to complete it. Your dentist still prepares the tooth first, with the same numbing and the same removal of decay or damaged structure that any crown, inlay or onlay needs. CEREC changes how the restoration is made, not the preparation behind it.
What CEREC Can Make
The system is used for three kinds of restoration. Which one fits depends on how much healthy tooth is left.
Inlays and onlays
An inlay fills the center of a chewing surface, between the cusps. An onlay is larger and covers one or more cusps as well. Both are used when a tooth has more damage than a filling can hold but still has enough sound structure that a full crown would remove more of it than necessary. Dentists often favor them for that reason, because they can leave more of the natural tooth in place.
Crowns
When the damage is too extensive for an inlay or an onlay, a crown covers the whole visible tooth. CEREC is how we make same-day dental crowns, so a crown can be scanned, milled and bonded at one appointment.
Veneers
A veneer is a thin shell bonded to the front of a tooth to change its shape, size or color. Some dental veneers can be made with the same system in one visit, while a smile that needs very fine color layering across several front teeth may be better served by a lab.
Is CEREC Right for Your Tooth?
Many single teeth are candidates, but the answer comes from an exam, not from the technology. A lab-made restoration may be the better choice when several teeth are being restored as a coordinated plan, when a front tooth needs very fine color layering to match its neighbors, or when the plan calls for a material that cannot be milled in the office. A tooth with an infection inside it needs that treated before any restoration goes on, and a tooth with too little structure above the gumline may need gum work first.
The scan is also not an X-ray. It records the surface of the tooth, not what is beneath the gumline or inside the bone, so your dentist may still recommend imaging. If your plan calls for deeper 3D imaging, cone beam technology is a separate tool with its own trade-offs.
Benefits and Limits
The main benefits are one appointment instead of two, no temporary restoration to come loose, no impression tray, and a metal-free, tooth-colored result. The system also has limits.
- A milled restoration is made from a block, so the color and shape come from that block and the design. Very detailed color work on a front tooth is where a lab can offer more.
- A longer single appointment replaces two shorter ones. Ask us how long yours is likely to be, because that depends on the tooth.
- Any restoration can chip, loosen or leave the natural tooth at the margin open to decay if home care slips. A same-day restoration does not change that.
Who Will See You
Dr. Moshe Eizdi leads care at Redondo Beach Dental Group. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at the University of Southern California, where he graduated with honors, and his work covers cosmetic and restorative dentistry, including implant restorations.
Cost and Insurance
The cost of a CEREC restoration depends on what is being made, the tooth, the material and any preparation work needed first. We do not post a price for inlays, onlays or veneers, so ask for an estimate at your exam, before treatment begins.
We accept PPO plans. Insurance generally pays by the type of restoration, not by where it is made, but coverage depends on your plan, so ask us how your plan applies to this treatment. For the balance, we offer payment plans through Cherry, CareCredit and LendingClub, and an in-office plan for patients without insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does CEREC cost per tooth?
The cost of a CEREC restoration per tooth depends on whether it is a crown, an inlay, an onlay or a veneer, and on the tooth and the material. Ask us for an estimate at your exam so you know the number before treatment begins.
What are the downsides of CEREC crowns?
The main downsides of CEREC crowns are that some teeth are better served by a lab-made crown, and that the appointment is one longer visit. A milled crown is made from a block, so a front tooth that needs very detailed color matching may be a better fit for a lab. Your dentist can tell you which applies to your tooth.
Does insurance cover CEREC crowns?
Insurance often covers a CEREC crown the way it covers any crown, since insurers generally pay by procedure rather than by how it is made. Your plan’s crown benefit, waiting periods and annual maximum still apply. Ask us how your plan applies before your appointment.
How long do CEREC restorations last?
How long a CEREC restoration lasts depends on the tooth, your bite, any grinding and your home care, so no one can promise a number. In one study that followed 187 CEREC inlays and onlays placed in a single private practice with the first-generation system, the estimated success rate after 10 years was 90.4%. Newer systems and materials were not part of that study. Brushing, flossing and regular checkups give any restoration its best chance.
What does CEREC stand for?
CEREC is usually expanded as Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. It is the brand name of a scanning, design and milling system made by Dentsply Sirona, not the name of a type of crown or a material.
Is a CEREC restoration as good as a lab-made one?
A CEREC restoration and a lab-made one are both made from dental ceramics, and which is better depends on the tooth rather than on the method. Many single-tooth inlays, onlays and crowns suit milling well, while a multi-tooth plan or a front tooth that needs fine color layering can be better served by a lab.
What is the difference between an inlay and an onlay?
An inlay fits within the chewing surface of a tooth, while an onlay is larger and also covers one or more of the cusps. Both are used for damage that is too much for a filling and not enough to need a full crown, and your dentist decides which fits after examining the tooth.
Book a CEREC Visit in Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach Dental Group is at 2511 Artesia Blvd, Redondo Beach, CA 90278. We are open Monday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Tuesday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Wednesday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Call (310) 542-6988 or request an appointment online and ask whether your tooth is a candidate.