One of the common concerns expressed by patients needing a dental crown is the fact that their treatment spans over at least two visits. A traditional dental crown requires prep-work, a temporary crown, and wait time while the final restoration is made in an off-site lab. Patients of our Scottsdale practice have another choice, CEREC crowns.

A CEREC restoration is made in the office using sophisticated CAD/CAM technology. The fact that restorations are made in-office means no wait time and no second visit. The final crown is ready for placement within a couple of hours.

The CEREC Advantage

The obvious benefit of choosing the CEREC method of restoring a tooth is the maximum extent of care in a single visit. The two-hour process typically involves the initial exam, preparation, imaging, and the fabrication of the crown. Timeliness is great, but it’s just one of the beneficial aspects of CEREC treatment.

Another reason why patients appreciate this innovative method of tooth restoration is because, to get a CEREC crown, there is no need for traditional impressions. You know, those trays filled with goop that cause you to gag and sputter? They are gone. Instead, CEREC technology needs only a few images, which are captured with a small intraoral camera. Because these images are transferred to and processed by advanced software, the 3D model of the tooth is more accurate, and therefore likely to be more structurally identical than a standard crown.

CEREC crowns are made from the all-ceramic material, carved from a solid block that closely resembles the natural shade of each patient’s enamel. There is no metal sub-structure. This does not make a CEREC crown any less durable. In fact, the dental ceramic coupled with the bonding of the final crown create a strong and long-lasting buffer for the tooth. Without metal beneath the ceramic material, there is no discoloration to “look forward to,” as if you would. The dark line that eventually appears at the margin of a PFM crown is a thing of the past, thanks to CEREC.

If a crown is in your future, consider these advantages of the CEREC process. To learn more, call our Scottsdale office at (480) 657-6981.