Once upon a time, getting a dental crown was a big undertaking that involved filing down the damaged tooth, taking impressions, crafting a custom metal or porcelain crown, and cementing it in place. The process was usually spread out over several appointments and could take weeks to complete.
Today, dentists have advanced tools and techniques that make this process much faster and easier for both the patient and themselves. One of these technologies is the CEREC machine. A CEREC-made crown can be imaged, crafted, and applied to your tooth in a matter of hours, rather than weeks. But with this level of speed and convenience, some patients wonder if CEREC crowns are of the same quality and durability as traditional crowns.
The short answer is yes, CEREC crowns are just as strong and durable as their predecessors. Let’s look at how and why this is.
What is CEREC?
CEREC means “Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics.” It works by capturing digital images of the patient’s mouth and teeth, which are then used to create a virtual design for a custom-fitted crown. That design is then used to fashion a crown, which can be manufactured right there in the dentist’s office using their own milling equipment, in just a few hours.
Over 40 million patients have been treated with CEREC-made dental interventions, with high rates of success and satisfaction.
The benefits of CEREC crowns
Not only do CEREC crowns offer the same quality as traditional crowns in a fraction of the time, they also have a few other key benefits as well. One is eliminating the need for a temporary crown. With traditional crowns requiring several weeks to design and fabricate, the patient usually has to wear a temporary crown in the meantime to protect the affected tooth from sustaining further damage. This temporary crown is often delicate, requiring the patient to avoid certain foods and eat with care to prevent it from breaking or falling off.
What’s more, the convenience and quality of CEREC crowns don’t come at a premium. In most cases, their cost is on par with traditional crowns, so patients can enjoy all of the benefits without having to pay an arm and a leg for them.