Technology

CEREC Dentistry

CEREC is a one-of-a-kind high tech system that employed by your dentist to take a 3D digital model of your tooth to create a precise porcelain restoration to replace any missing teeth in a natural, durable and aesthetically pleasing manner. CEREC is more efficient that traditional restorative methods, your porcelain fixture can usually be manufactured and fitted in a single sitting.

Why CEREC?

  •  Protects and preserves your tooth's structural integrity.
  •  Ceramics are bio-compatible.
  •  Only one appointment.
  •  Perfect looks.
  •  Perfect comfort.
  •  Perfect quality.
  •  Long lasting and durable.
  •  Unquestionably the most cost effective restoration we have available today.

What’s Involved?

View MoreStep One

The defective filling and decay is removed. A reflective powder layer prepares the tooth for imaging.


View MoreStep Two

  •  A optical 3D image is acquired with a small camera, directly in your mouth
  • The restoration is created in the screen using the image data.
  • Diamond coated instruments mill a ceramic block to reproduce the design.
  • This is accomplished during a single appointment using Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacture (CAD/CAM).
  • Perfectly bonded porcelain ensures an extremely long life for your teeth.
  • Maximum strength, great looks!

View MoreStep Three

  • After polishing, the new restoration fits precisely. A unique light hardens the bonding material, uniting porcelain and tooth.
  • Polishing or glazing ensures a pleasantly smooth and natural feel.
  • The colour and appearance make the special ceramic material blend with your tooth.

Intra Oral Camera

The intra oral camera gives you dentist a clearer view of the inside of your mouth. It also allows you to see what your dentist sees as it is streamed live on the overhead screen. This helps facilitate a more efficient, effective and detailed diagnosis of any potential issues and also allows a better educational and informative process with our patients, so you remain fully informed.

Low Dose, Digital X-Rays

Using 90% less radiation than standard dental radiographs, digital x-rays are also more efficient, appearing almost instantaneously on the computer so we can identify and diagnose any problems there and then.

View MoreWhy Take X-Rays?

Dental x-rays or radiographs are very important. They allow the dentist to detect potential issues regarding your oral health which cannot be seen by the naked eye. These items include cysts (sacks of fluid that form on the roots of teeth), cancerous and non-cancerous tumours in the surrounding tissues, decay occurring between teeth, and the location of teeth that haven't fully erupted.

By using diagnostic x-rays, we can help save you potential discomfort and money in the long run from surgery or extended treatment.   In some cases, where dental x-rays show the location of tumerous growths, x-rays can even save lives.

We use “small film” x-rays to look for decay in-between the teeth and sometimes to look at the underlying root and bone structure surrounding the teeth. Your dentist may suggest an OPG or “full mouth” x-ray to look at all the teeth in the mouth and surrounding hard tissues. It is recommended to have an OPG x-ray taken every 5 to 10 years to look for any undetected abnormalities present within the jaw bone.


View MoreAre Dental X-Rays Safe?

At St Albans Dental Centre we are now using digital x-rays. These use less than half the radiation used by conventional x-ray machines and as such are very safe. The amount of radiation you now receive taking a set of small film dental x-rays would be less than that you would receive from the sun on a flight from Christchurch to Auckland. A full mouth or OPG x-ray uses a little more radiation but it is also digital, and the dose is low when compared to the total background radiation you receive from the sun every day. If you compare that with risks to your health from undetected disease then it is negligible.

OPG

OPG stands for Orthopantomogram, which is a panoramic dental x-ray of the upper and lower jaws. It is a helpful tool in diagnosis and treatment planning because it displays details which may not be visible on other x-rays or radiographs.

Laser Dentistry

Our understanding team understand the apprehension that many people face in coming to the dentist, which is often caused by a fear of lengthy, invasive treatments.

Laser dentistry uses a combination of laser energy and water to complete numerous traditional dental services in a more efficient, less invasive manner, using less anaesthetic which means fewer needles. Sometimes known as hydrophontics this form of treatment allows for a greater preservation of natural tooth structure and drastically changes the experience of the patient, as injections are rare and treatment is more efficient. Laser dentistry can be used in the areas of:

  •  Decay Removal
  •  Endodontic Treatment
  •  Periodontal Treatment
  •  Soft Tissue Procedures
  •  Cavity Preparation

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144 Cranford St St Albans, Christchurch 8014, New Zealand

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