Same Day Crowns: What is CEREC and How Does It Work?

CEREC Benefits for Crowns

When you have a dental problem, you want it fixed as soon as possible. A damaged tooth can cause sensitivity or pain and may make it difficult to chew or affect how you talk. Perhaps you have an important meeting you don’t want to attend with an embarrassing tooth problem? Waiting for a crown can be frustrating, but what if you had an option for shortening that wait time?

Same-day restorations with CEREC help clients get the help they need when they need it. There are numerous CEREC benefits clients should know about.

What Is CEREC?

CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics) is a special computer device used to create same-day dental crowns, bridges, and porcelain veneers for clients right in the office. Instead of taking messy and often uncomfortable impressions and having them mailed to an external laboratory to create a restoration and mail it back, CEREC allows our team to provide one-visit dentistry! This means that the tooth preparation, impressions, restorations and adjustments are accomplished during the same visit. CEREC restorations are just as functional, beautiful and natural-looking as lab-created restorations made miles away.

Crown Materials

A dental crown can restore shape and function to a damaged or decayed tooth. The artificial tooth is a hollow cap placed over a natural tooth or dental implant. Crowns can be made from various materials, including metals (such as gold), or man-made products such as porcelain. Sometimes a combination of materials may be preferred.

Based upon a personalized biological assessment and a follow-up collaborative discussion, you and your dentist will be able to decide upon a material most appropriate for the aesthetics and function you hope to achieve. With dentistry applied from a biological approach, we assess which materials are biocompatible with your body. When you and your dentist consider your sensitivities to various materials there is a greater likelihood of improved outcomes for your long-term health.

All-Porcelain Crowns

CEREC makes use of all-porcelain crowns, which is widely accepted as a highly biocompatible material. Porcelain artificial teeth can offer unique benefits over traditional crowns. Most notably, ceramic material is the most natural-looking option blending in effortlessly with your natural teeth.

Before a crown is placed, the dentist removes portions of the natural tooth, impacted by decay or damaged from trauma. Porcelain crowns generally allow clients to keep more of their natural tooth. Additionally, they are sturdy and they resist abrasion and staining, ensuring that you enjoy a long lasting, radiant smile.

Porcelain Fused to Metal (PFM) Crowns

Porcelain fused to metal (PFM) crowns combine 2 material types. A PFM crown has a metal core (gold may be used) with porcelain exterior. The metal center can improve the strength, which may be necessary to support teeth with more bite force, such as molars. These types of crowns are always generated by external labs.

What to Expect with Same Day Crowns

Same-day crowns made possible with CEREC involve a simple but multistep process:

The dental team will capture digital photos of the tooth (or teeth) of concern in addition to your oral system prior to removing the portions of the impacted tooth/teeth. A digital model is generated so that a crown of similar dimensions can be manufactured in the office that will look like your original tooth and fit the new dimensions of the prepared tooth surface. Following the milling process, which can take about 15 minutes, the dentist completes the manufacturing process by performing small adjustments (baking, polishing, etc.) in an in-house laboratory preparing the crown(s) for placement. The crown is finally placed and fastened to the prepared tooth. Where necessary, bite adjustments are made to ensure a comfortable, natural feeling fit.

Restoring Your Smile

At Living Wellness Dental Dorchester, our goal is to help our clients receive prompt, professional, biologically-friendly care so they can enjoy a healthier smile and improve their overall wellness. We collaborate with our clients, sharing information towards generating solutions that align with their values, while allowing them to feel confident about their oral care decisions.

With CEREC porcelain crowns, you will enjoy the convenience of one-visit dentistry while benefiting from the natural form and function of a beautifully crafted crown. You deserve the benefits of a radiant, natural-looking smile. Same-day crowns offer yet another pathway to whole body health and wellness.