Patients shouldn’t have to wait when it comes to correcting dental issues. Traditional crowns take two dental visits to complete, however with CEREC technology Philadelphia general dentist Dr. Len Tau can place a ceramic crown in a single visit. There are various advantages with this technology, the most apparent one being that patients receive a beautifully created restoration in a single day. Crowns effectively restore the appearance and function of a cracked, decayed, or otherwise damaged tooth.
What Are CEREC Crowns?
Dr. Tau has invested in learning and incorporating CEREC technology in our dental office because it allows patients an easier restorative appointment. Rather than multiple visits and an unstable temporary crown, CEREC creates a custom-made restorative device on the spot. You can expect the entire process to take approximately two hours.
Before your crown crafted, Dr. Tau will prepare your tooth for your crown by removing a thin layer of tooth enamel to help the crown sit flat against the tooth. This will also help the crown blend with surrounding teeth. Once the tooth has properly been prepared, he will take a digital impression of your teeth. This is where the change in the dental crown process happens. Rather than using a putty impression, we incorporate digital imaging technology to improve patient comfort and clinical precision.
The digital impression will be sent to our CEREC milling machine, where a CEREC Bloc will be chosen. The block of ceramic will match the shade of your teeth, to provide an unnoticeable restoration. Our CEREC machine will sculpt a crown that fits perfectly over your damaged tooth. This step takes an hour.
In the final step, Dr. Tau will place your custom-made ceramic crown over the prepared tooth and bond the crown in place, which will create a long-lasting restoration.
Advantages of CEREC
Philadelphia general dentist Dr. Tau chose to invest in CEREC technology for the many advantages that accompany it. Rather than taking messy dental impressions, we take a digital impression. Although a putty impression provides the same information, a digital impression is more precise, has no flavor, and does not cause gagging.
In traditional dental crown procedures, patients have a temporary crown placed over the newly prepared tooth until the off-site lab sends the permanent one. With CEREC technology, the permanent crown is created at your initial visit, which means there’s no need for a follow-up visit to bond the permanent restoration in placed.
CEREC uses highly durable dental ceramic to create your crown. This material allows for a seamless blend with surrounding teeth. It’s cosmetically appealing, so your dental crown won’t stand out from the rest of your smile. With proper care, your ceramic crown can last 20 years or longer.
Disadvantages of CEREC
There are a few disadvantages of CEREC, but they’re insignificant when compared to the advantages. For example, the machine only works with ceramic; therefore if you require zirconia, porcelain fused to metal, or metal, CEREC isn’t a viable option for you.