Dental crowns are pieces of dental ceramic that look like teeth, and that fit neatly over the top of a tooth. Dental crowns can be used as part of a number of different procedures to help repair and protect your teeth. The only drawback to dental crowns is the length of the treatment timetable associated with them. Between the fittings, temporary crown, and fabrication time, it can be weeks before you actually have your dental crown. However, digital imaging technology, along with CEREC technology, makes it easier than ever to receive a dental crown in just one office visit.

The imaging portion of treatment is incredibly important to the effectiveness of your dental crown. Your dentist needs accurate images of your tooth that will receive the crown and the surrounding teeth in order to make an accurate dental crown that fits comfortably within your mouth. You don’t want your crown to be an uncomfortable fit next to your natural teeth, or with the tooth directly above or below it. Digital imaging allows your dentist to build out an accurate 3D model of your mouth in real time. This image can then immediately be used to fabricate the dental crown with CEREC technology.

“CEREC” stands for chairside economic restoration of esthetic ceramics. The name may sound complicated, but the final result is incredible. Your dentist can place a small block of dental ceramic material, use the specifications from your digital imaging, and the CEREC machine will cut a perfect dental crown out of the material. The entire process takes only a matter of minutes. Your dentist can choose from different material finishes to accurately match the color and appearance of your natural teeth.

Being able to receive a dental crown in a single office visit creates some incredible possibilities. Treatments that used to take weeks now take a matter of hours. If you’ve got a tooth that has been severely cracked or chipped, a same-day crown can protect it right away. If you need root canal therapy for a tooth, you won’t have to wait weeks for your crown to be complete. Even significant cavities sometimes need dental crowns for added support. When you have digital imaging technology on your side, recovery is easier.

*Patients can receive their crowns on the same day and we charge Discovery rates.

*We currently have a Cerec machine at the practice but we are changing it to a different      scanner in the next week so please leave out the word Cerec