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If one of your teeth is broken or weakened, but you dread the idea of visiting the dentist several times, your dentist may suggest getting a dental crown for support. Same-day crowns are a time-saving alternative, as they’re designed and fitted in the same appointment.
This can save you time, money, and effort in getting used to the temporary crown while your permanent one is being crafted. But besides saving time, same-day crowns offer several advantages, and in this article, we’ll discuss them.
A dental crown is a tiny cap that resembles a tooth and is placed over your tooth. Dental crowns serve both restorative and cosmetic purposes: They can be used to conceal a discolored or malformed tooth or to protect or restore a broken, worn-down, or damaged tooth.
For example, it’s common for dentists to suggest a crown placement after a root canal treatment, which can leave the tooth brittle. Crowns are a fundamental piece in restorative dentistry, too. A crown can hold a dental bridge in place, too, or provide the functionality of a normal tooth on top of an implant, as well.
While many materials can be used to make crowns, CEREC® crowns are frequently made of extremely durable ceramics and are designed, manufactured, and placed with the aid of computer technology.
Because of that, you can have one of these crowns installed the same day, leaving the dentist's office in the afternoon.
CEREC® stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. The name comes from the fact that your crown is designed while you’re sitting still, relaxing on the chair.
Traditionally, getting a crown involves two or more visits to the dental office. Before, a dentist would take a mold of your teeth and send it to a lab so that a customized crown could be developed and adjusted perfectly to your other teeth’s appearance and the available space. In the meantime, you’d have to wear a temporary crown.
However, same-day Crowns save you the trouble of having to wait 2 weeks for your new restoration. The dentist will take digital pictures of your teeth and jaw, design a crown, and then fabricate the crown in-office using computer-aided design (CAD) and manufacturing (CAM).
This allows us to get a customized, aesthetically-pleasing, and perfectly fitted restoration in one single visit.
Rather than waiting as long as two weeks for your new crown, with CEREC®, you can walk into a dentist’s office and walk out with your new crown the same day. However, when it comes to your oral health, saving time shouldn’t be your only priority.
CEREC® crowns are also long-lasting and natural-looking. Let’s go over some of these benefits in detail:
Although they aren’t customized in a lab, same-day crowns aren’t far behind in appearance. Because they lack a metal core, these crowns tend to appear more natural and resemble your surrounding teeth closely, making it hard for your friends and family to even tell that you had a restoration.
Additionally, by not having a dark core, studies have shown that CEREC® crowns don’t interrupt the reflection of light, appearing more natural.
When you use the CEREC® system to install a crown on your tooth, you can get a dependable restoration. These crowns are more likely to last because they are typically strong and abrasion-resistant.
The traditional dental crown placement procedure is a long process, from preparing the prosthesis to the final placement of the permanent restoration.
However, same-day crowns allow patients to receive a crown on the same day, increasing efficiency and reducing your visits to the dental office.
Same-day crowns may appear more costly at first, but they are actually the most economical choice. Patients who get same-day crowns do not have to pay for the development of a temporary crown or for a second appointment to have the permanent crown placed.
So, in the long run, same-day crowns are less expensive than traditional crowns.
Computer software is used to create same-day crowns, which enable a more exact and snug fit.
Additionally, they eliminate the need for temporary crowns. This can prevent the discomfort and potential increase in sensitivity associated with temporary crown placement and removal from the treated tooth.
For same-day crowns, the majority of patients in good oral health are suitable candidates.
We will examine your teeth to decipher if you need one and suggest placing it as soon as possible. This prevents further damage to the tooth, such as cracks or chips.
Placing a dental crown is easy, and the entire process can last 30 minutes to one hour.
As with any dental procedure, the cost of a CEREC® will vary, depending on factors such as:
A crown may be paid for in full by some dental insurance plans but only in part by others. Whether your plan considers the crown to be purely cosmetic or medically necessary may determine how it works.
If you want a strong, natural-looking crown and do not want to wait a few weeks for it to arrive, CEREC® crowns might be a good choice. Not only are same-day crowns more robust than lab-made restorations, but they also do not require a follow-up visit.
Moreover, they will last you for several years to come. Contact Black Bear Dental if you’re interested in learning more!
