I broke a tooth last week and knew that it could not be simply filled or replaced. My dentist told me that I needed to have a crown fitted. I was expecting long hours in the dentist’s chair as he performed some root canal treatment, a wait for a few days while some remote laboratory made a crown and then another long period having it fitted.

I was completely surprised by my dentist, Dr Leo’s, high tech approach.

It took only 45 minutes, or so, for him to prepare the remainder of my tooth by making the edges slanted and then taking an impression. From there, he used a camera to take a photo and on his computer screen appeared a 3D view of my new tooth! With a tiny bit of modification to the shape and structure, the new crown was ready to be made.

This was done by inserting a small cube of ceramic, about the same size as a sugar cube, into a robotic machine which then proceeded to carve the shape created on the computer. once the crown was made, it was coloured and fired in a little furnace to harden it.

While this was happening, I had some time to go and get some lunch and return to the surgery to have the new crown fitted (which it did almost perfectly). It was then quickly fused to my tooth with adhesive and some ultra violet curing.

What a change in process from my previous experiences – all thanks to Dr Leo’s skill and some remarkable German technology.