CAD-CAM PORCELAIN DENTAL VENEERS IN SINGAPORE

A beautiful smile not only makes you look youthful, but it also boosts your self-confidence and enhances your personality. Unfortunately, crooked, stained or chipped can ruin your smile and facial aesthetics. However, there is no need to worry. If you have damaged teeth that are negatively affecting your smile and personality, then we have the perfect cosmetic treatment option for you; porcelain veneers designed with the contemporary CEREC system-based CAD-CAM technology.

What are CAD-CAM Porcelain Veneers?

A veneer is a thin shell of porcelain that is attached to the front surface of damaged teeth to restore their appearance, function and structure. However, instead of the conventional veneers, we offer the revolutionary porcelain veneers prepared by using CAD-CAM technology. CAD-CAM, an acronym for “computer-aided manufacturing and computer-aided designing”, refers to a technology in which dental prostheses are designed and manufactured using the modern computer technology. As a result, the prostheses prepared by using the CAD-CAM technology are not only much stronger and more durable, but they also possess superior aesthetics than the conventional veneers.

Who can Benefit from Dental Veneers?

Beautiful woman with charming smile

At Dental Designs Clinic, we recommend CAD-CAM porcelain veneers for the management of the following problems:

Although virtually anyone can benefit from dental veneers, extra care needs to be taken in patients who have a habit of excessively grinding their teeth.

How are Veneers Prepared using CAD-CAM Technology?

One of the best things about the CAD-CAM technology at Dental Designs Clinic is that veneers can be prepared at the dental chairside and that too in a matter of hours! At Dental Designs Clinic, we use the quality German designed and manufactured Dentsply Sirona CEREC CAD-CAM system for fabricating veneers for our esteemed patients. Here’s how we prepare CAD-CAM based veneers for your new smile:

Ceramic veneers prepared using conventional techniques typically require several weeks for completion, in addition to demanding multiple patient visits, whereby the teeth are covered in a temporary layer which are uncomfortable and can crack and stain before the final veneers are placed. In contrast, CAD-CAM based porcelain veneers can be fabricated in a single day. CAD-CAM based veneers allow you to enjoy the smile of your dreams in less than a day!

Pros and Cons of Ceramic Veneers Prepared from CAD-CAM Technology

Dental implant in CEREC machine

In addition to requiring considerably lesser fabrication time, veneers prepared by using our latest CEREC technology offer several advantages over the conventional ones:

CAD-CAM technology is the future of cosmetic dentistry. Therefore, we have started using the state-of-the-art CEREC CAD-CAM system to prepare ceramic crowns for our patients which are not only cosmetically pleasing but also restore dental structure and function. So, what are waiting for? The smile of your dreams awaits you at Dental Designs Clinic. So, visit our dentist today and let us realize your perfect smile and personality with our milled porcelain veneers.

Dental Porcelain Veneers at Dental Designs Clinic

Click here for more information on dental veneers in Singapore!

References

  1. Single Visit Fabrication Of a Porcelain Laminate Veneer with Cad/cam Technology: A Clinical Report
    Dean Vafiadis-Gary Goldstein - (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022391311001004)
  2. Digital Dentistry: an Overview Of Recent Developments For Cad/cam Generated Restorations
    F. Beuer-J. Schweiger-D. Edelhoff - (https://www.nature.com/articles/sj.bdj.2008.350)
  3. The Use Of Cad/cam Technology in Design and Manufacture Of Thin Laminate Veneers
    Danimir Jevremović-Branka Trifković-Ana Lapcevic-Tatjana Puskar-Igor Budak-Djordje Vukelic-Janko Hodolic - (https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-Use-of-CAD%252FCAM-Technology-in-Design-and-of-Thin-Jevremovi%C4%87-Trifkovi%C4%87/96820acce72eb6bb6235e17785aef030ba8ffd1f)
  4. Clinical long-term results with 617 Cerec veneers: a nine-year report
    (https://europepmc.org/article/med/16416936)
  5. Evaluating Cad-cam Generated Ceramic Veneers
    Liu KF; - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8340547/)
  6. Internal adaptation, marginal accuracy and microleakage of a pressable versus a machinable ceramic laminate veneers
    (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2012.04.019)

Deciding Between a Veneer or Dental Crown Singapore

A common question that surfaces in the mind of patients is: Should I choose a dental crown or a veneer? Here are the answers you've been looking to get.

Why do I need a dental crown or veneer?

For one, your teeth are damaged or decayed, exposing the dentine and pulp. Or they may be discoloured and worn out, with parts that have chipped off. For another, treatment is needed to protect these tiny but indispensable structures from wear and tear.

What is a restoration?

This is a procedure that brings a tooth back to its original state, or better. The dentist first prepares the work site by cutting away the damaged or decayed parts. Then he or she places material to cover over the exposed dentine and pulp. In smaller areas, this can be fixed with a filling. However, when the defect is larger, or for aesthetic reasons, either a veneer or a crown may be used.

What is a dental crown?

It acts as a protective layer that encircles the structure. It is like a cap on a tooth that has been reduced due to root canal treatments and large cavities. The crown restores both structure and strength that have been compromised by chips and cracks. Think of it as a bumper for your car - if there is a high force onto your bumper, it will break but the frame will still be protected.

Similarly, if there is any high force that is large enough to damage the tooth, the crown breaks instead, absorbing the impact. It is fitted onto your teeth, beside the neighbouring and opposing teeth. The difference between this and dental implants is that the latter serves to replace missing teeth.

What are dental veneers?

These are thin shells that are adhered to the tooth. Mostly done on the front surface for cosmetic reasons, they are effective when the dentine and pulp are not exposed. Veneers are custom made to suit the shape, size, and colour (shade) of your jaw. The cosmetic dentists at our clinic are interested in less reduction of your original tooth structure because the restoration is more successful.

The main advantage here is the improvement of your smile. Teeth actually have many shades and shapes. The job of a dentist is to skillfully design one that will suit the rest, making it virtually indistinguishable from the other structures. The material is carefully painted and stained by trained laboratory technicians to make it match your natural teeth colour.

Veneers come in two materials, ceramic (or dental porcelain veneers) and composite resin veneers. There also are traditional versus modern ones. If you want no grinding down included, your doctor might recommend prepless veneers.

How do you choose the right dentist?

Dentist Chair and Tools

Indications of a good professional include one that will explain to you what your condition is and what treatment options you have. This includes all the pros and cons of picking each procedure, as well as long-term considerations. When you are settling for a permanent, long-lasting treatment like these two are, you need to be assured that the specialist is capable of delivering an outcome that you will be satisfied with in the long run.

Your choice actually lies between digital versus traditional dentistry. An orthodontist will best be able to advise whether to restore your tooth using a crown or a veneer. However, being the patient, you have the autonomy to select an expert who has upgraded their skills to the new revolutionary methods. Talk about intra-oral scanners that are less intrusive and nicer versus traditional unpleasant impressions. Or those 3-4 hours spent to restore your tooth versus two appointments with a wait of up to two weeks.

The most dedicated professionals invest in technology such as the 3D intra-oral scanner to design your smile. Using the software in their clinic, they have total control over the entire process. By contrast, traditional dentists sub their work out to dental laboratories and the quality of the job depends on the technician's skill.

What are the main considerations of choosing between the two treatments?

Regardless of the procedure you opt for, you still need to maintain a good oral hygiene routine in order to sustain the results.

What is involved in a visit to the dentist for dental veneers?

To answer this question, the typical traditional dentist’s workflow must be explained. For dental crowns, they first prepare your tooth to create the space it takes to fit in. They then make a hold or impression of your prepared tooth and send it to the traditional laboratory to mould. Next up, they place or restore a temporary preparation on your tooth, and this marks the end of the first appointment.

Typically, you have to wait about two weeks until the laboratory has made your restoration. In the meantime, do keep in mind the following. First, the temporary fixture is rough, hence you should be careful to not dislodge it when brushing and flossing. Second, you ought to avoid chewing hard or sticky foods on that side so as not to break it. The tooth may also be more sensitive as it is not fully covered.

After two weeks, you will have to go back to the dentist and they will place the actual dental crown.

Alternatively, you can narrow down your appointments to one if the products are made by a CEREC trained specialist. Instead of placing a traditional temporary crown or veneer, they can design your tooth immediately after the preparation work is done.

CEREC revolutionises this conventional method. In general, the whole process of starting and completing the treatment can be done in around three hours. The first visit is the preparation which takes one hour. After that, you can go back to work or have coffee while you wait. The restoration will be CAD/CAM milled in our CEREC machine, individually stained, glazed and hand-finished. In an hour’s time, you return to the dental clinic and have the permanent material fitted in.

This means no more troublesome unreliable temporary restorations, and fewer appointments. The visit itself will be more pleasant with the 3D intra-oral scanning experience, compared to the normal dental impressions that leave you gagging in the dental chair.

I Want to Improve my Smile, Can I Do That with Veneers in Singapore?

improve smile

Veneers can change the shape and size of your smile to a more alluring appearance, with the added bonus of teeth whitening.

However, if you require orthodontic treatment, you will be advised to go for it ahead of time. This is because your teeth need to be straightened before anything else is done to them. If the crookedness is massive, excess material will be ground away and the structures will be reshaped. Not to mention, the orientation is essential as well. It is important how the occlusal surfaces of your dental arches for the top and bottom teeth impact enamel wear and tear.

So to sum it up, veneers are mainly used to restore a beautiful smile when sufficient tooth structure is available. They cannot be stained with coffee, tea, and wine. On the other end of the spectrum, dental crowns are used for more damaged structures because they provide wider coverage and protection, replacing missing teeth.

Our Commitment to Quality Dental Care

Dental Designs Clinic

At Dental Designs Clinic, we offer same day crowns since we are capable of milling the restoration with our CEREC machine. Therefore, you only have to come for a couple of hours in one day to complete your treatment, unlike most other clinics which require two appointments. This frees up your valuable time.

Getting the restorations made in-house means we have total control over the designing, finishing, and quality of the process, as opposed to traditional dental laboratories whose work depends on the technician's skills. We strive to improve your overall oral health so you can have a normal life for years to come before you need to make another trip to your dentist.

References

  1. Crowns and Other Extra-coronal Restorations: Porcelain Laminate Veneers
    (A Walls-J Steele-R Wassell - https://www.nature.com/articles/4801489)
  2. Clinical evaluation of etched porcelain veneers
    (https://europepmc.org/article/med/2597374)
  3. Clinical Observations Of Porcelain Veneers: A Three‐year Report
    Gordon Christensen-Rella Christensen - (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1708-8240.1991.tb00994.x)
  4. Us3934348a - Method Of Forming a Porcelain Crown
    (https://patents.google.com/patent/US3934348A/en)
  5. Effects Of Opaque and Porcelain Surface Texture on the Color Of Ceramometal Restorations
    Alejandro Obregon-Richard Goodkind-William Schwabacher - (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0022391381902225)
  6. Marginal distortion of the porcelain-bonded-to-metal complete crown: An SEM study
    (https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-3913(82)90178-0)

Medisave Dental Clinic - Medisave Accredited Clinic

Medisave Dental Claim
Medisave Accredited Clinic

Medisave Dental Clinic - Dental Designs Clinic is a Medisave Accredited Clinic approved by the Ministry of Health Singapore.
At Dental Designs Clinic, our dentists are trained in the latest techniques in dentistry to provide the best treatment available. Our clinic is equipped with high tech equipment from Germany, and we follow international European Sterilisation Standards to ensure a safe and clean environment for you and your family. Our dentists are friendly and gentle, as we understand any dental treatment and surgery is a stressful experience and we do our best to make it as stress-free as possible. We answer some commonly asked questions about Medisave and how you can use it for yourself and your family.

What Does Medisave Cover?
Medisave claim can be used for Dental Implants and Wisdom tooth surgery. Medisave dental surgery such as bone grafting, gum grafting, soft tissue grafting and other procedures are also eligible.
If you are unsure of what does Medisave cover for dental surgery, please contact us and we will be happy to advise you.

How Can I Use Medisave to Pay for my Surgery?
As long as you have a Medisave account, you can log in to Medisave website using your SingPass to check if you are able to claim Medisave funds. We can then claim directly with Medisave for your dental surgery costs so you do not have to pay upfront.
You may also use your Medisave contribution for dental surgery for your children. For example, you can use your Medisave to pay for wisdom teeth surgery for your child.

Can I use Medisave to Claim for Dental Implants?
Yes, as dental implants are considered minor surgery, you will be able to use your Medisave to claim for the implant costs up to the maximum allowed by CPF Board.

Which Dental Clinic Can Claim Medisave?
Only Medisave Accredited Clinics are able to claim for your dental surgery cost through CPF Board.As a Medisave Dental Clinic, at Dental Designs Clinic you may use your Medisave for dental surgery treatment.

What Are Dental Implants?
Dental Implants are replacement teeth for your missing tooth. They are made out of titanium and ceramic and are permanently fixed in your mouth. There are many different brands of dental implants in the market, the most common being Korean Brand Implants such as Osstem or Dentium. At Dental Designs Clinic, we use high quality Straumann Dental Implants from Switzerland, which is the pioneer of dental implants and the foremost dental implant brand in the world. We believe that having peace of mind for your dental implant and your health is invaluable.

...Click here for more on Dental Implants

What is Guided Implant Surgery and How is it Different to Normal Implants?
In Singapore, our dentist Dr Justin Giam is the first to do Fully Guided Implant Surgery with Straumann Dental Implants. Fully Guided Implant Surgery requires specialised equipment and only an experienced dentist is able to do Fully Guided Implant Surgery. The advantage of Fully Guided Implant Surgery is less pain for you, a shorter surgery time, faster healing after surgery, and the least complications compared to traditional implant surgery.

Our Dental Clinic is located in the CBD near MRT Station (Telok Ayer on Downtown Line) and within walking distance to Tanjong Pagar, Raffles Place, Marina Bay

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Dental Designs Clinic is an AIA Panel Dentist on the AIA Group Dental Panel List

Looking for an AIA Dentist near Raffles Place and Tanjong Pagar? Dental Designs Clinic is a AIA Panel dentist located in the CBD of Singapore.

We answer some commonly asked questions about AIA Panel Dentist and how you can utilise your employee benefit or AIA insurance coverage fully with us.

I am covered under the AIA Group Dental Insurance, how do I utilise my AIA dental benefit?

We are a AIA Dental Panel Dentist in CBD near Telok Ayer MRT on Downtown Line. Enjoy convenient regular checkups and treatment with our AIA dentist near Tanjong Pagar. You can even come during lunch hour with us, as we are located near to Raffles Place, Marina Bay, Chinatown and Shenton Way.

What Is Covered with AIA Panel Dentist?

Enjoy claiming your employee benefit through us. As an AIA dentist, we fully cover you for regular checkups, scaling and polishing, x-rays and fillings, as well as other treatment, which can often be direct billed to AIA.

How Do I claim my AIA Dental Insurance with an AIA Panel Dentist?

As an AIA Dental Provider Clinic, you will get to enjoy AIA coverage for your dental treatment with us.

Please bring your AIA card for your first appointment in order for us to process your claim with AIA. Whenever possible, we direct bill your treatment charges to AIA for your convenience.

In pain and need an emergency appointment?

Please call us as we will try our best to slot you in on the same day, to see you as soon as possible.

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Have a cracked or chipped tooth?

We understand that this is a priority that needs to be fixed quickly, as this affects your daily life very much. The good news is, our clinic is able to provide same day restorations and crowns, which are permanent and able to fix your problem quickly. Same day crowns are as strong as or even stronger than conventional crowns which usually take two weeks to manufacture.

Read more about same day crowns here

Still not sure whether you should make an appointment?

Our clinic provides a full range of dental services to you using high quality products from Germany and Switzerland. At Dental Designs Clinic, our dentists are trained in the latest high tech equipment such as a German SIRONA CEREC 3D CADCAM machine which can produce high quality, long lasting crowns in a day, compared to typical clinics which require 2 weeks for a crown.

Our dentists are patient and caring. We believe in working together with you to provide high quality dental treatment that suits your needs.

You may read more about our dentists here.