Cerec Crowns – What it is and all it Entails

Last Updated on: 22nd November 2023, 02:56 pm

Sometimes, a dentist may recommend a dental crown as a treatment for a broken or damaged tooth. However, if you have even gotten traditional dental crowns before, you will know how long it takes to get it done.

With Cerec Crowns, you get to say goodbye to the long wait required for traditional dental crowns.

CEREC is a technological advancement that is categorized under same-day dentistry. With this advancement, you will get your dental crowns on the same day of the appointment.

CEREC crown uses digital impressions to make a custom-made crown from ceramic. Once the crown is gotten, dentists like those in Dentakay Dental Clinic fix the crowns on the patient that same day.

This sounds too good to be true right? Well, it is absolutely true. Come to know all about CEREC crowns and if they suit you.

What is a CEREC crown?

CEREC is the short form of Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. It is a new dentistry technology that uses computer-aided designs (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) to construct dental crowns.

CEREC crowns are made from long-lasting ceramics, which makes the crowns durable.

The CEREC Crown Procedure

Now that you are aware of what the CEREC crown is and you have decided to go for it rather than the traditional dental crown, here is what you should expect from the procedure:

• Examination and preparation

This is the first step in the CEREC crown procedure. In this step, the dentist will thoroughly examine the teeth to ascertain that the CEREC crown is for you. This process is important as it helps the dentist know the health status of your teeth.

Once it is decided that the CEREC crown is suitable for you, the dentist will prepare the teeth for the false teeth that will be placed on it. This preparation involves removing the weakened teeth tissue and drying the spot for crown placement.

• Impression

Now, this is the stage where the CEREC crown procedure differs from the traditional crown. In this stage, you will open your mouth wide so the camera will capture the impression of the teeth.

The computer software will make digital images of the surface of the teeth, and the machine will use these images to create a 3-D model of the tooth.

• Milling

In this stage, a machine will create a dental crown from the 3-D model created by the computer software. To ensure that the dental crown does not look too different from the rest of the teeth, the dentist will choose a color closest to the teeth’ color.

• Fixing the crown

Now that the crown has been made in the milling stage, the crown is ready for fitting. The dentist will fix the crown in this stage and ensure you regain your proper bit.

Pros and Cons of CEREC Crown

Like every other dental procedure, there are advantages and disadvantages to using CEREC crowns. This aspect of the article will discuss both the advantages and disadvantages of getting the CEREC crown.

Pros of CEREC Crown

The following are the advantages of the CEREC crown:

1. Convenience

CEREC crowns can be obtained in one dental clinic visit as a same-day dentistry procedure. This prevents both the dentist and the patient from multiple appointments and offers them premium convenience.

2. There is no need for temporary crowns

Unlike the traditional dental crown procedure that requires temporary crowns before manufacturing the permanent crowns, the CEREC crown does not need temporary crowns as the CAD and CAM will produce dental crowns unique to the patient through the impressions captured by the camera.

3. It Looks more like the teeth

Since CEREC crowns do not have a metal core, it looks more like natural teeth than traditional dental crowns.

This makes it difficult for people to realize that you have a CEREC crown on.

4. It lasts long

Unlike the popular opinion, some people believe that the CEREC crown is not durable due to it being a same-day dentistry procedure. This is false and totally different from the truth.

CEREC crown is made from high-quality, durable, and long-lasting materials; hence, it lasts really long.

5. It prevents messy dental impressions

For traditional dental crowns, the dentist needs to make the impressions of the teeth himself before the 3-D crown model is manufactured. In doing this, plasters will be used to get the tooth impressions, which can be a bit messy. With CEREC crowns, a camera is used to capture that; hence, there are no messy plasters.

Cons of CEREC Crowns

Despite the several benefits that CEREC crowns have to offer, there are still some drawbacks to them.

1. Availability – as CEREC crown is a new technological advancement, not all dental clinics have the machines needed for this procedure, so they cannot offer the services. Another limitation is that dentists need extra lessons on how to use the machines.
2. Suitability – despite how good the CEREC crown is, they are not suitable for everyone. Consult your dentist to know whether CEREC crowns suit your dental condition.

How to Care For Your Teeth Post CEREC Crowns

CEREC crowns are durable and can last long with proper maintenance. Here are a few tips for maintaining dental hygiene after getting CEREC crowns.

1. Carefully brush your teeth – when brushing your teeth, you need to be as careful as you can. Do not use a stiff brush. Also, use toothpaste for sensitive teeth if your teeth are sensitive to cold or heat.
2. Floss daily
3. Do not eat hard food.
4. Do not use your teeth to open bottle caps or chew your nails.
5. Use a mouthguard if you grind your teeth while sleeping
6. Lastly, always go for regular dental checkups

Final words

Are you looking to get a natural-looking crown, and you do not want to wait for days? Then CEREC crowns are the ideal fit for you.

With CEREC crowns, you get to have your dental crowns fixed in one visit to the dentist.