Tooth Preparation. Your dental professional will prepare the site for your restoration by removing all decay or portions of the structurally unsound tooth.
Intraoral Scanning. Next, an optical scanner will digitally capture the tooth preparation and surrounding teeth to create a 3D custom image.
Restoration Design. With those 3D images, the dental professional will use the CAD software to design the final restoration.
Milling. Next, a milling machine takes the design and shapes the crown, veneer, inlay, onlay, or bridge from a single block of ceramic.
Sintering and Polishing. The restoration is stained or glazed to look more natural before being polished.
Cementation. Finally, the restoration is permanently placed in your mouth to complete your smile.
This whole process could take anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours, depending on the case's complexity. Still, CAD/CAM requires less time and effort than traditional laboratory methods.