Say goodbye to multiple visits to the dentist’s office. Philadelphia dentist Dr. Len Tau has invested in CEREC same-day crowns so that patients can have a restoration designed and placed in a single dental visit. Ordinary crowns require more than one appointment. They also require that patients wear a temporary crown while the permanent one is being made. Dr. Tau fashions a customized ceramic crown without the need for an unpleasant dental impression.
You might wonder how this is possible. CEREC technology allows Dr. Tau to take a 3D color scan of teeth and create a crown from a CEREC Bloc. The Bloc is then sculpted into the exact shape needed to cap a damaged tooth.
Who Needs a Crown?
Before we can explain who needs a crown, it’s imperative to discuss what a crown is. A dental crown is a protective cap that is placed over an entire tooth. A crown can be used with a dental implant to replace a single missing tooth or alone to cover a weak or damaged tooth.
Patients who undergo root canal therapy have a custom-made crown placed over the repaired tooth. A crown is also used to hold a cracked or broken tooth together.
If you have an old metal crown that you’d like to replace with a natural-looking ceramic restoration, CEREC same-day crown is the appropriate procedure for you. Patients who have a damaged, weak, or broken tooth are ideal candidates for same-day crowns with Philadelphia dentist Dr. Tau.
How Are Same-Day Crowns Different?
For most dental offices, it takes at least two appointments to properly place a porcelain crown. At the first appointment, the dentist takes an impression of the teeth and places a temporary restoration over the damaged tooth to provide minimal protection until the permanent crown is created. At the second visit, the dentist removes the temporary and bonds the permanent crown onto the tooth.
Dr. Tau’s method is entirely different. Thanks to CEREC same-day crowns, there’s no need for a dental impression. Most patients appreciate this feature of same-day crowns because impressions are sometimes foul tasting and irritate sensitive gag refluxes.
Instead of an impression, Dr. Tau uses advanced CEREC technology to generate a 3D scan of teeth. He uses the scan to fashion a ceramic crown, while the patient waits in the office. There’s no need for an additional appointment because we use a specialized CEREC machine to sculpt a crown, using the 3D image. Since the permanent crown is created while the patient is in the office, a temporary crown isn’t needed.
How Are Same-Day Crowns Placed?
After he generates the full color 3D model of the teeth, Dr. Tau quickly designs the crown using the CEREC machine. During this time, patients usually enjoy a magazine or catch up on emails. A CEREC Bloc is placed into the milling machine and is sculpted to reflect the 3D scan. CEREC same-day crowns eliminate the guessing factor of creating crowns. Instead, a precise and beautiful restoration that is guaranteed to fit the damaged tooth is created.
Next, Dr. Tau bonds the permanent, ceramic crown onto the affected tooth. The crown provides strength and protection to the once damaged tooth.
