Category Archives: CEREC crowns

CEREC crowns

Intereting Yahoo question on CEREC crowns.

I recently came across a question about CEREC crowns on yahoo that I thought was interesting.

I recently had a Cerec crown put in. I was told how great this was and that they go in take a picture that make a 3d image of the tooth and they send it to the mill that makes it. My understanding was that it was supposed to make this perfect fitting crown.
Well I ended up in the dental chair for about 3 hours. She said she had to pic a generic image from the database because my tooth was so damaged or in bad shape. This seemed odd to me and didn’t make since due to what I was told before. The crown did not fit when it was created. I noticed a lot of red area on the sides on the screen and she was doing a lot of hand manipulation to the 3d model. The crown didn’t filt. She had to hand grind the sides and a lot off the top. It seemed like it really sat up very high. As if it was made way to high. She had to do a lot of grinding to it so it felt natural. It seems like it’s a alittle lower then the surrounding teeth and doesn’t seem to have that natural tooth look. Almost looks a little too smooth. It is also a little wider on the outside at the base then the rest of my teeth. I would have assumed it would been pretty even. Also it seems a little sensitive. I don’t know if that’s normal for a period of time or not. Its been almost a week. It just don’t feel strong. I wonder if it is not seated in properly.
Now when I went to the Cerec site. It seemed as if it was supposed to be a nearl perfect fit. Would pnly take a fraction of the time. And only minor modification if any. I also sen the image of how it looks when they take the image. My tooth looked identical to this, so Im a little concerned why she is saying it was because the tooth was in bad shape as to why they couldn’t fit it right or get a proper model of it. It looks from the site that they could make a copy of the top tooth to know how it would fit. My understanding was this was what they did. But they only took a image of the prepared tooth which again looked like the images in their flash presentation. Did she do something wrong and is trying to cover it up? What about the sensitivity and such?

Here are my thoughts….

This patient definitely needs to see another dentist to have it checked.  A lot can go wrong with a dental crown and I’m afraid this one has some serious problems.  If indeed the crown needs to be replaced, then he dentist the caused the problem in the first place, should pay for the replacement and any other repairs that need to be attended to.

There is something that puzzles me.  This patient said that their dentist had to take a generic image from the database because their tooth was in “such bad shape”.

The CEREC crown system is made to deal with teeth that are in bad shape. Teeth that are in good shape don’t need crowns. The software asks the dentist to input which tooth is being crowned. It in turn gives the dentist a starting point for designing the crown, showing him or her what the tooth is supposed to.  The dentist is also given the images of the surrounding teeth and  opposing teeth. This gives the dentist all the information needed to fit the crown perfectly. Clearly, this dentist didn’t know what they were doing.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.

CEREC crowns

Cleaning CEREC crowns

I had a lot of damaged amalgam fillings nad my teeth degraded further. As a result I needed crowns.  I opted for CEREC ones to save on appointment time. My two rear molars continually trap food. Sometimes floss helps, but not always.  Is there a different method with crowns for getting food out?

Jen H. – Little Rock

Jen,

Dental floss holders can sometimes help you reach places that are tougher to without them, but that is not really your problem.  Go back to your dentist and let him or her know what is going on.  The margins to your CEREC crowns were left open on your crown.

If that’s not repaired your going to end up getting decay under there. If that happens, your crowns will have to be re-done at your expense.

If you go back now and your dentist fixes the mistake (at his own expense), you’ll be much happier.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.

 

CEREC crowns

CEREC crown or lab made crown

Is it better to get a CEREC crown or a traditional crown made in a lab? By better I mean natural looking.

James H. – Alabama

James,

The biggest advantage to CEREC crowns is convenience. You can have  your permanent crown done the same day as your appointment. There will be no need for a temporary crown and return appointment.

The question as to which one is more natural looking, while a good question is asking the wrong thing.  Either crown, traditional and CEREC, can look natural in the hands of a skilled dentist.

An artistic dentist can make just about any crown match your teeth and look stunning.  In the hands of a lesser skilled dentist, it wouldn’t matter what type of materials and / or lab you used. It will look terrible.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.

CEREC crowns

Can I get a CEREC crown if I ground my teeth?

I had to go to an emergency dentist when my dentist was out of town. I learned two things at that appointment.  1. He said that I need a dental crown. 2. He said I grind my teeth. My regular dentist has never mentioned that before.   I was hoping to get a CEREC crown. Is that possible if I grind my teeth?

May H. – Maryland

May,

I’m glad your emergency dentist caught the grinding, because there can be pretty serious consequences if this isn’t dealt with.  When it comes to a CEREC crown, it is a wonderful restorative. You can get a beautiful, strong crown that looks completely natural.

A CEREC crown will be about as strong as your natural teeth. You will notice, however, that your natural teeth are suffering under the affects of teeth grinding.  You need to protect both your natural and restorative teeth.

It’s likely you don’t know when you’re grinding your teeth. In fact, you probably do it in your sleep, so it’s kind of hard to stop it in that case.

There is a simple solution.  Ask your dentist to fit you for a night guard appliance when you get your crown.  It’s a simple piece that you’ll wear when you sleep. Then you can grind away without hurting your teeth.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.

CEREC crowns

Can CEREC crowns not match?

I got a CEREC crown. It doesn’t match my other teeth at all. I told him I wanted it white, but it’s more white than my other teeth. It doesn’t look natural. I thought they could be made to match my teeth.

Nerry G. – Oklahoma

Nerry,

Yes, CEREC crowns can be made to match any teeth. So, there should have been no problem getting them the same color as your other teeth.

In your particular case, you could do teeth whitening in order to get your natural teeth the same tone as your new crown.  That’s much easier than if your crown was darker. In that case you’d have to completely re-do the crown.

It sounds to me like your dentist understands the mechanics of dental crowns, but not the artistry involved with color and translucency.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.

CEREC crowns

Can CEREC crowns be made to look like vampire teeth?

My girlfriend is a huge fan of Twilight.  I’m going to propose to her despite this one very obvious fault.  As a sign of my undying (get it?) devotion, I want to get crowns put on my teeth that look like vampire teeth. Will CEREC crowns do this? I want to spend as little time as possible on this.

Cedric B. – Cape Cod

Cedric,

That is devotion. While CEREC crowns can do this, you want to think about whether you want to permanently change the shape of your natural tooth. In order to have a a crown put on, your natural tooth has to be ground down in order to fit the crown.

If you’ve already got a crown on that tooth and are wanting another one placed instead, that should be fine. I will tell you most dentists are not comfortable placing permanent vampire teeth. You might get them to give you a temporary crown, but that is it.

If you don’t have a crown on that tooth, there are other ways to get the vampire shape, such as bonding, that won’t require such a drastic change to your teeth.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.

CEREC crowns

Will I save money with a CEREC crown?

Is it cheaper to get a CEREC crown over a porcelain one?

Amanda B. – McClean, VA

Amanda,

CEREC crowns are also porcelain crowns, they’re just milled by a machine instead of a lab.

They’re not necessarily cheaper or more expensive than traditional porcelain crowns. It depends on the dentist what the cost is.

What you will save is time, which as the saying goes, “Time is Money”.  You can get your crown in one appointment instead of two, which means you won’t have to go back into the dental office missing an additional day of work.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.

CEREC crowns

Do I need to switch dentists to get a CEREC crown?

My sister says CEREC crowns are superior to other types of dental crowns. My dentist says he doesn’t do CEREC crowns. Do I need to switch dentists? Are they that superior? I’ve always felt satisfied with my denitst before.

Alamander O. – Florida

Alamander,

I don’t think getting or not getting a CEREC crown is something to switch dentists over, especially if you’ve been happy with your dentist’s work in general. The only immediate benefit to getting a CEREC crown is you save yourself an appointment.  CEREC crowns do not have to be sent off to a lab for completion. Instead, it is milled in-house by a computer, so you get your dental crown in just one appointment.

If you’re happy with  your dentist, I’m assuming that means either a) he’s both skilled and artistic. That is what will matter when it comes to deciding about what dentist does your crown.

If he does a great job and you have always felt that your dental work looked natural, then I think it would be a mistake to switch. You could ask your dentist if he’s every going to get  a machine that mills CEREC crowns, but don’t make that your priority.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert dentist Dr. Matt Roper

CEREC crowns

Is this disadvantage about cerec crowns true?

I want to get a cerec crown, but my mother says they don’t look as natural as other crowns. Is that true?

Tasha Y. – Detroit

Tasha,

In many cases mother knows best, but this isn’t one of them.  The only difference between a beautiful crown and an ugly crown is the skill  and artistry of the dentist.

CEREC crowns are milled from porcelain just like a regular dental crown, so they have the same beautiful characteristics. It’s up to your dentist to develop the color and variations in the crown.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.

CEREC crowns

Persistent Pain With CEREC Crowns

I had my first cerec crown. Now I have pain every time I bite down. I wnet back and my dentist shaved it–twice, but I still have the same problem.  Is it because it is a cerec crown or is there something else wrong?

Sammie M- Boston, MA

Sammie,

The problem is not the crown. In fact, CEREC crowns are generally more accurately placed because they are milled from a computer.  There are generally two reasons for pain with a crown.  One is that the crown is too high. I don’t think that is the problem, your dentist has already shaved it twice.

The second possible reason for the pain is infection.  I would have the tooth x-rayed to see if there is an infection. They can be a little tricky to see sometimes.  Because you’ve been in so much pain and your dentist wasn’t quick enough to figure out it could be an infection, I suggest you go to a root canal specialist.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.