What is a Single Visit Dentistry?
Single visit dentistry is a recent technology allowing dentists to fabricate crowns, veneers, onlay within the duration of a single dental appointment.
It’s also called CAD/CAM (computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing). It consists of variety of technology and specialized dental software, all to scan, design and mill custom restorations during one visit to the dentist.
There are several different companies that use CAD/ CAM technology. My evaluation and overview is based on my experienced with CEREC® (stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramic).
The CEREC® Process in 4 easy steps
- Exam and Preparation
Upon examination the dentist will make a decision on what type of restoration you need based on how much healthy tooth structure you have remaining; from a partial restorations like onlay, inlay, veneer to a full crown. After reviewing your options, the dentist will proceed with removing only the decayed or weakened tooth structure.
- Scan and design
The CEREC® 3D software takes a digital scan of the teeth with the help of a small digital camera and converts it into three-dimensional virtual model. This 3D model is used to create the restoration without the need of taking an impression.
The software has all the tools for the dentist to design the restoration right there on the computer screen.
- Milling
A mouse click sends the designed restoration to the milling unit, which sculpts the tooth from a block of very strong and highly esthetic ceramic. Based on the color of your tooth, the dentist is able to select the proper shade and in about 10-15 minutes, the milling device creates the restoration needed.
- Bonding the restoration to the tooth
When it is ready, the restoration is polished, glazed, sometimes baked and bonded permanently into place.
Benefits of the Technology
· Only one appointment, one time injection placement.
· No temporary crown is necessary.
· No impression is necessary- uses a digital scan to create model.
· Conservative approach: ability to retain the healthy part of the tooth
· Creates strong, biocompatible and highly esthetic, metal-free restorations
· High precision: eliminates the potential of human error and distortion of the impression
Disadvantages of this technology
· It cannot be used for large fixed prosthesis. This technology is not effective if you are missing two of more teeth and long bridge needs to be fabricated.
· Very high startup cost for dentists: variety technology, software and materials
· Advanced software makes it more complicated. Cost of technology combined with the cost of training, makes the use still not routine in every dental office.
Does the insurance cover single visit restoration?
If your insurance covers traditional crown, it likely covers CEREC crowns. A lot of offices are able to do a free insurance benefits check for you.