I needed a dental crown on a front tooth that I broke, but needed to leave town in two days. My dentist suggested a CEREC crown. I agreed. The crown was done and I left town. The very next day, my crown fell off. I was in another state and had to see an emergency dentist. He looked at it and told me that whoever did my crown did not bond it on properly. He fixed it and I was able to finish my trip. I did notice the color was off, but this was true from the beginning of the crown, not because it fell off. I talked to my dentist about this situation and he agreed to do the whole thing over. After some research, I am thinking that this dentist may be in over his head. Should I go to a traditional crown instead of CEREC?

Lindsey

Dear Lindsey,

CEREC crowns are wonderful and convenient, but they’re not the best on front teeth. This is because they are milled from a single block of porcelain. That means they will not have those subtle variations in opacity and color that your natural teeth will. On teeth that are not directly exposed to light, such as our front teeth, that’s not a problem. They will still look natural and blend in. But, with front teeth, they will look flat. So, yes, I would go with the traditional dental crowns.

That being said, crowns on front teeth are difficult to match exactly even with traditional crowns, and your dentist does not inspire confidence in me. If he could not properly bond on a dental crown, which is one of the first things we learn in dental school, then I have my doubts that he has the skills to do this well.

However, if you want to give him a chance, I would tell him that you want him to try it on with a temporary try-in paste so that you can get a good look at it in a variety of lights and feel confident that it is what you want. Only then should he bond it on permanently. If you don’t like it, then he should go back and make the needed changes. He should be okay with this. Even skilled cosmetic dentists usually need two or three try-ins.

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