New Computer Assisted Crown Fabrication System
Traditionally the process of crown preparation involves shaping a tooth, making a rubber impression, and then sending the impression to a dental laboratory, where a technician pours a plaster model, fabricates the crown on the model, and then forwards the crown back to our office to be delivered to the patient. During the period the crown is being fabricated at the lab, the patient wears a temporary crown. While most patients would agree that this procedure is very effective at preserving a structurally weak tooth that cannot be restored with a filling, most would also agree that the procedure leaves a bit to be desired in the areas of comfort and convenience.
With our new computer aided crown fabrication system, (which, by the way, is US manufactured at a factory in Dallas, Texas) we can now schedule one visit to complete the entire process in-office. The procedure involves using computer software to create a digital impression, from which a digital model is made. A crown is then designed by computer to fit the digital model and a computerized mill in our office laboratory fabricates the crown from a ceramic block. The milled restoration is then checked in the mouth, personalized for shade and character, and fired to finish and glaze. With this system, we have eliminated the need for messy impressions, temporary crowns, and two week waits. We are also excited that we can now perform our own aesthetic work while visualizing adjacent teeth, rather than trying to describe to a technician how to accomplish this from written directions. Our patients who have received these crowns so far have been very impressed with how well they look and fit, and love the convenience of one day service. One added benefit has been the ability for the patient to see what is going on. Since the design process is shown on a computer screen, patients have been able to watch their crown being made, which has been surprisingly entertaining and informative.
We are proud that we can offer this service to our patients as part of our “new heights” pledge. We realize that many of you may want to share this information with family and friends, and since a write-up in a patient newsletter cannot do justice to illustrate this revolutionary technology, we have supplemented this article with a video showing this procedure with an actual patient in our office. It can be viewed on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/DoctorKayes , or can be accessed through a link on our website, drkayes.com or through our Facebook page
