Less pain, more efficiency with high-tech dentistry

April 11, 2000
Web posted at: 10:36 a.m. EDT (1436 GMT)

From staff reports

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Going to the dentist's office means sharp, pointy metal things going into your open mouth, probing your sensitive gums, perhaps drilling away parts of your teeth.

Discomfort. Pain. Dentistry.

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For a growing number of dentists, the times they are a-changing. Thank the baby boomers and others who are demanding a better quality of life. They want to preserve their own teeth with less invasive, less painful procedures.

For instance, if you have had a crown or cap put on a tooth, you know that the process -- including finally having a good fit -- can mean three or more trips to the dentist's office.

With computer-assisted technology, an $80,000 machine from Cerac Inc. in Milwaukee designs a new crown based on an image of the patient's tooth, then immediately makes the crown of long-lasting, high-tech materials. Exact fit. One visit.

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American Dental Association

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