CEREC – Same Day Dental Restorations

The word “CEREC” stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramic. Put simply, it’s a dental system that uses computers to help design and create customised dental restorations in a short time, usually just a single visit.

Dental inlays/onlays/overlays/crowns, including CEREC same day restorations, can fix a wide range of dental issues. They are used to restore teeth that are broken, cracked, or severely worn down. CEREC restorations can also be a solution for a tooth with a large filling that no longer has enough structure to support itself. They can protect a weak tooth from fracturing or hold parts of a cracked tooth together. Additionally, CEREC restorations are used to cover and support a tooth after a root canal treatment and to cap a dental implant. Essentially, CEREC restorations act like a helmet for your tooth, restoring its shape, size, strength, and appearance.

They look natural and can provide patients with the smile they’ve always wanted. CEREC restorations can last between 10 to 15 years with good care and maintenance. It’s vital for patients with CEREC restorations to avoid biting down or grinding their teeth to help prolong the life of the restoration.

The CEREC process is a huge time-saver. While a traditional inlay/onlay/crown can take a few weeks and multiple appointments to complete, a CEREC restoration is finished in one visit. Depending on the complexity of your case, the entire process can sometimes be completed in as little as an hour!

The main difference between a CEREC restoration and a traditional one is the way it’s created and the time it takes. Traditional inlay/onlay/crowns require a messy “putty” impression of your teeth, which is then sent to an off-site laboratory while you wear a temporary plastic cap for about two weeks. In contrast, CEREC uses a high-tech digital scanner to take a 3D picture of your mouth. This digital “map” is sent to an in-office milling machine that carves your custom inlay/onlay/crown from a solid block of high-quality ceramic right then and there, completely eliminating the need for gooey moulds or temporary teeth.

Yes, they absolutely can. Because the entire manufacturing process, from scanning to design and milling, happens inside the dental clinic, you don’t have to wait for a lab to mail your inlay/onlay/crown back to us. You can arrive at the clinic with a damaged tooth and leave a couple hours later with a permanent, fully functional restoration. This “one-and-done” approach is a favourite for our busy London patients because it removes the need for a second visit, a second round of numbing injections, and the hassle of taking more time off work.

A common misconception is that “faster” means “weaker,” but that isn’t the case here. CEREC restorations are milled from solid blocks of composite, lithium disilicate ceramic or zirconia, which are the same high-strength materials often used by top-tier dental labs. Because they are carved from a single, solid block, they are incredibly resilient and less likely to have internal flaws. Research shows that when properly cared for, CEREC restorations have a survival rate comparable to traditional restorations, often lasting 10 to 15 years or even longer.

CEREC technology is versatile enough for almost any tooth in the mouth. It is particularly excellent for back teeth (molars) because the ceramic/zirconium material is strong enough to handle heavy chewing forces. For front teeth, CEREC still provides a beautiful, tooth-coloured result that blends in naturally. However, if you are looking for an extremely specific, multi-layered artistic look for a very prominent front tooth, we might occasionally suggest a lab-made crown with a lab shade match so a technician can hand-paint tiny details. That said, for the vast majority of cases, CEREC provides a seamless and highly aesthetic result for both front and back teeth.

One of the best things about a CEREC restoration is that it doesn’t require a complex new routine. You should treat it just like a natural tooth: brush twice a day, floss daily, and maintain your regular dental check-ups. The only “special” care occurs in the first 24 hours while the dental cement is fully curing. During this first day, we usually recommend avoiding very sticky foods (like toffee) or extremely hard foods (like ice) directly on that tooth. After that, your restoration is fully integrated and ready for all your favourite meals.

While a traditional inlay/onlay/crown requires two separate appointments of about an hour each (plus two weeks of waiting), a CEREC appointment is a single visit that typically lasts between 90 minutes and 2 hours. During this time, the dentist prepares the tooth (about 30–40 minutes), and then you can relax in the lounge with a coffee while the machine mills your CEREC (which takes about 10–30 minutes). Finally, the dentist spends another 20 minutes fitting and bonding the CEREC restoration into place. It’s a slightly longer single visit, but it saves you hours of travel and waiting time in the long run.