CEREC is a brand name – the technology is called CAD/CAM (Computer-aided design and computer–aided manufacturing). CAD/CAM dentistry has been in use since the mid-1980’s. Early efforts were considered a cumbersome novelty, requiring an inordinate amount of time to produce a viable product. This inefficiency prevented its use within dental offices and limited it to lab-side use (that is, use within dental laboratories). As adjunctive techniques, software, and materials improved, the chairside use of CAD/CAM (use within dental offices) increased.