What You Need to Know About CEREC Restorations and How They Compare to Traditional Crowns

Your dentist may recommend a dental crown when you have a tooth badly damaged due to advanced decay or which has undergone root canal therapy. Earlier, getting a dental crown was a lengthy process that required multiple appointments, off-site laboratories, physical impressions, and temporary crowns. Thanks to the ever-evolving nature of dental care, CEREC same-day dental crowns are now made available to patients in the Menomonie, Wisconsin area by Drs. Emily Andre and Frankie Thatcher at Gentle Dental Care. If you need a dental crown, you may wonder if CEREC crowns are right for you and what the differences are between a CEREC same-day crown and a traditional dental crown. Let’s take a look!

What Is CEREC? 

CEREC is an acronym for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramic and refers to a technologically advanced system that utilizes computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM). This CAD/CAM system can successfully and quickly construct a dental crown (and other restorations) out of a block of dental ceramic. Other restorations that CEREC is known for manufacturing include implants, bridges, inlays and onlays, dentures, and veneers. Many dentists, including Drs. Andre and Thatcher, use it specifically to craft dental crowns within a single appointment.

The CEREC Procedure

Once you and your dentist have determined that a CEREC same-day dental crown is a suitable treatment for your tooth, several (albeit quick) steps are involved in the process. First, your teeth will be examined to determine how much healthy tooth structure remains. The tooth will then be prepared, during which any decay or weakened tooth material will be removed. Digital images will then be taken of your mouth using a special intraoral camera. The CAD system will then take these digital images to create a three-dimensional model of your tooth. This three-dimensional image is then sent into the CAM machine, where your new custom crown will be crafted from a ceramic block chosen to match the original tooth color. This process will only take about 15 minutes. Once this is complete, the crown will be ready for the final fitting. The crown will then be cemented into place and polished. You will walk out with your brand-new dental crown within a single appointment!

The Advantages of CEREC

Like any dental or medical treatment, CEREC has both its pros and cons. The advantages outweigh the negatives, starting with how convenient CEREC has made dental crowns for the average consumer. The quick design and manufacturing process has eliminated the need for multiple visits. Because the CEREC crowns are crafted within a single visit, you will never need to worry about temporary crowns. Another great benefit of CEREC is that it requires digital impressions, leaving behind the need for dental plaster in crafting a physical mold of your mouth. And if you are worried about the convenience of CEREC coming at the cost of quality, you should not! CEREC crowns are just as reliable as traditional crowns in both durability and strength.

The biggest disadvantage CEREC faces is that it is not available everywhere. Only certain dental offices offer this treatment.

Patients in the Menomonie, WI area are very fortunate to have Gentle Dental Care nearby, which offers CEREC same-day crowns. To schedule an appointment, please call (715) 600-9004.

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