An overview of the CEREC 3D CAD/CAM system.

Computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacture (CAD/CAM) technology has made steady inroads into the practice of dentistry. The CEREC CAD/CAM system can be used chairside to fabricate porcelain and composite inlays, onlays, and crowns and porcelain veneers. The latest incarnation of the CEREC system is the CEREC 3D, which provides a versatile, relatively simple, user-friendly method for fabricating esthetic restorations chairside without involving a dental laboratory. CEREC 3D may be the system that allows the average general dentist to provide chairside porcelain restorations during single-visit appointments, eliminating the need for an elastomeric impression or an interim restoration as well as the expense of a laboratory fee.