CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramic) has become, in recent years, a worthy rival of the traditional crown. CEREC crowns are an alternative type of crown that uses CAD/CAM technology to create a synthetic tooth for the patient.
San Francisco Dental Arts is fortunate enough to offer CEREC crowns to its patients with the latest CEREC technology. Our qualified dentists can fit a new crown within an appointment of 2 hours. Patients receiving a CEREC crown will not have to wait 2 weeks for the dental lab to create their crown. For those who are made anxious by dental procedures, this method can be greatly relieving.
Method
The impacted tooth will be identified and examined, with our dentist assessing the affected tooth’s need for a crown; this could be for a number of reasons, from tooth decay to a chipped or crack.
The dentist will then clean the tooth, clearing out any plaque or tartar. They will file and shape the tooth to be ready for the crown, removing any tooth decay or harmful bacteria, preventing it from spreading further in the mouth.
The tooth is now ready for the CEREC process to begin. The dentist will ask what shade of white you’d like the tooth to be, in order to match it as closely to your tooth as possible. The dentist will take 3D images of the tooth, so no dental putty is needed, and a model of the teeth will be uploaded to the computer.
Out of a block of ceramic, the CAD/CAM technology will carve out your new tooth. This process can take as little as 15 minutes, far quicker than waiting for the dental lab.
The newly made crown will be polished and then placed over the tooth. No temporary crown needed and no wait time.
Benefits
The aforementioned benefit of a very short waiting time, of about 15 minutes, is one that inclines a lot of patients towards CEREC crowns. It means that temporary crowns do not have to be used and everything can be done quickly.
In terms of cost, it changes from each individual case. CEREC is not that much more expensive than a traditional crown, because there is no cost incurred from the dental lab process. However, the CAD/CAM technology is used, so the cost is similar. Talk to one of our dentists for an accurate assessment of the CEREC crown cost.
CEREC can only be made from ceramic, but the crown is very strong, and does not chip or wear down easily. CEREC crowns typically last 10-15 years, and possibly even longer with the upkeep of good oral hygiene. CEREC crowns are also said to be the most indistinguishable from regular teeth. Unlike metal or porcelain fused to metal crowns, CEREC crowns look almost identical to regular teeth.
San Francisco Dental Arts is excited to offer CEREC crowns, as the technology means we can save you a lot of time and hassle. One of the unseen benefits of CEREC is the lack of stress and anxiety potentially involved, compared to traditional methods, and we’re happy to calm your dental worries in any way we can. To book an appointment with us now to discuss your crown needs, contact us at 415-854-9396.
