Tag Archives: Are CEREC crowns reliable

What is a cerec crown?

If you are in need of a crown, but haven’t considered a CEREC crown, or are unsure of what they are, it’s important to take time to understand the science behind them, and why they are exceptional.

What is a CEREC Crown?

Many dental offices have technology which enables them to provide “computer-assisted design-computer-assisted manufacture”, or CAD-CAM crowns. CEREC is the company that is most known for this technology. This type of crown is created by a computer to perfectly fit your tooth, which prevents the need for the lab involvement in manufacturing the crown.

This technology allows the all-ceramic crown to be made while you wait, thus there is no need for a second appointment or temporary crown.

Facts About CEREC Crowns

  1. No single brand of same-day crowns. Though many people ask for same-day crowns by asking for CEREC crowns, this is an brand of same-day crowns, similar to Zoom Whitening, which is a brand of teeth whitening, but there is not a single brand of teeth whitening. CEREC means “Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics”, but is not the only brand of same-day crowns. Often, the brand will use the phrase “same-day crowns”, or “crowns-in-day,” but these phrases are part of the marketing for the brand. However, the overall idea is the same with all restorations which take place in one dental visit. The office uses CAD/CAM technology to create it.
  2. CEREC crowns are billed the same as traditional crowns. Many people think the CEREC crown costs more than a traditional one. However, the opposite is true. For billing purposes, all dental procedures have billing codes. The billing code is the same for a CEREC crown and a traditional crown, therefore they cannot be billed any differently.
  3. They’re high-tech. CAD/CAM means a computer assists in the design. The program takes a picture of your mouth and plots out every detail. The measurements are exact. Then, the crowns are carved out by a machine in the office, with each new tooth starting out as a piece of material, oftentimes composite, zirconia, ceramic, or acrylic polymer, which is the same base for traditional crowns.

When operated and placed by an experienced cosmetic dentist, CAD/CAM crowns are a quick and efficient way to improve your smile, while maintaining a natural look and feel.

This article is provided by the office of Gilbert CEREC Crown provider, Dr. Matthew Roper.\


CEREC Crowns help with dental anxiety

If you are a person who suffers from dental anxiety, and haven’t visited a dentist in quite some time, you may not be aware of CEREC crowns, and how these restorations are are changing dentistry and lives.

CEREC crowns are made in the office

It used to be that a crown could only be done by going into the office for multiple visits. The doctor would removed the decay and/or damage, take impressions, and fit you for a temporary crown in the first visit. Your impressions would then be sent to a dental lab, where your restoration would be created, over a two-week timeframe. While some crowns remain this way, CEREC crowns are different.

Years ago, the only option when you needed to have a crown done was to go into the office for two visits. On the first visit, the doctor would remove the decay or damage on the tooth, build it up if need be, take impressions, and fit you with a temporary. Then, your impressions would get shipped off to a dental lab which would then craft your restoration over a period of two weeks. Some crowns are still this way, but CEREC crowns are different. These crowns are made in the office using CAD/CAM technology and a milling machine, allowing your crown to be created and placed all in one visit, easing the anxiety of a dental patient who may be troubled by the idea of multiple visits to the dental office.

Impressions are taken digitally

Often, people with dental anxiety have strong gag reflexes, or aversions to the impression process. The use of the CAD/CAM technology, allows the impressions to be taken digitally, similar to having a photo taken.

Can be combined with sedation dentistry

Nitrous oxide is a helpful way for patients with mild dental anxiety to feel more relaxed and comfortable. It takes effect quickly, and wears off almost immediately after treatment. For those patients with a more intense dental anxiety, conscious sedation will place you in a deeply relaxed state.

This blog is sponsored by Gilbert CEREC crowns dentist, Dr. Matthew Roper.

 

 

What should I do if my CEREC crown broke?

Two weeks ago, I had a CEREC crown done. I was recently eating, when I felt something come loose in my mouth. I came to find out this crown had broken in half. The dentist offered to fix the crown free of charge. While I was thankful for this, I wanted to know why this happened. I want to be sure this was just a fluke circumstance and not an error made by the dentist.

Sincerely,
Randi

Dear Randi,

While this is quite rare, there are some things that may have hinted that something was “off”, like tooth pain, jaw pain, or if the tooth was connecting first when you bit down.

Another possibility is the way the material handled stress, though it is unlikely that this is the case. However, if this were the case, it is possible there was some sort of defect in the material before use, though this, too, is unlikely.

Another thought is if you grind or clench your teeth, this may be the cause. Each tooth has a different threshold in terms of the amount of force it can withstand. This is why some restorations my break, while others do not. If this occurs during the day, practicing relaxation exercises can help. If it’s taking place at night, a night guard will prevent the grinding.

The majority of crowns can handle this to an extent, so you can’t rule out the material used or a mistake made by the dentist. It’s worth having him redo the procedure. It would be good to see what he thinks is the cause. Dentists have restorations fail from time to time. So long as this is not the norm, and he wants to fix the issue, it sounds like you’re in good hands.

This post is brought to you by Gilbert CEREC provider Dr. Matt Roper.

Are CEREC Crowns Reliable?

I need to get my first crown. I’ve been doing some research and think I want to go the CEREC route. However, I need to be sure they’re reliable. I work in a field where my smile is important. I have a few friends that have crowns and they all have had problems with them falling out at one time or another. Most of them said it was the temps that fall, which is why I’m thinking a CEREC. However, one of my friends even has his regular crowns fall out. Plus, they don’t look that great. I do wonder if this has more to do with his dentist. He doesn’t have much money, so I’m not sure he’s going to the best dentist.

Ben H. – Ft. Worth, TX

Ben,

You’ve brought up a few important concepts. First, is bonding. The biggest factor in a crowns ability to say is it being designed to fit properly.  A well-designed dental crown will stay in without any bonding agent.  Of course, that wouldn’t hold if you were eating something sticky which could pull down from an unbonded tooth. However, once it’s bonded you should be able to eat what you want.

Yes, temporary crowns do have a tendency to fall out. That’s because they’re designed to be removed easily to make way for the permanent crown.

CEREC crowns are bonded in immediately, so you’ll not have to deal with a temporary crown. They’re also milled by a computer, which does sometimes increase the accuracy. Though, a traditional crown can be equally well made.

Your comment about your friend’s experience and a less expensive dentist is interesting. People sometimes mistake cheap dentistry for affordable dentistry. You can have an affordable dentist who still uses quality materials, but works to keep his prices lower in other ways. Or, maybe he or she has interest free payment plans. A cheap dentist, on the other hand, will advertise their low prices to draw people in, but uses cheaper materials to keep his profit margin up. Or, it could just be a matter of him not being a very skilled dentist.

As to the appearance of the crown, that also depends on the skill of the dentist. Some dentists are more artistic than others. I’d recommend asking to see before and after pictures of their work to get an idea what type of results they can deliver.

Also, because you mentioned appearance being important to your job, if you’re going to get your teeth whitened, do it before getting the crown made. You won’t be able to change the color of the crown once it’s done. So make sure your teeth are the color you want.

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