If you’ve ever broken a tooth or had a root canal, you probably remember the time-consuming process of getting a dental crown. It used to take at least two dental appointments to design, fit and place a crown (maybe more if the crown required some fine-tuning).
Dr. Jennifer Santoro has some good news: thanks to the revolutionary CEREC system, she can deliver top-quality dental crowns in a single visit. No longer do you have to worry about scheduling multiple appointments or wearing an uncomfortable temporary crown while your permanent crown is being crafted.
Read on as Dr. Santoro shares more details about the exciting advantages of CEREC crowns.
The Process of Getting a Dental Crown
The process of getting a dental crown used to be very time-consuming and inconvenient. During the first appointment, the tooth was numbed and prepared for the crown. Molds or impressions of the tooth were taken and had to be sent to an outside lab to construct the crown. The tooth was fitted with a provisional crown to protect it in the interim. During a second appointment weeks later, the temporary crown was removed and replaced with the permanent restoration.
CEREC technology eliminates the back and forth and delivers custom crowns while you wait. After determining that a crown is appropriate for your dental needs, Dr. Santoro will prepare your affected tooth. An intraoral camera will take digital impressions or images of the tooth, and the CEREC computer software will create a model of the planned crown based on these images. Once the design is finalized, it will be sent to the milling machine, which fabricates the crown from a pre-selected block of porcelain. Dr. Santoro will then place the crown in your mouth and check its fit and feel. Last-minute adjustments can be made on the spot as needed.
Strong, Gorgeous Crowns
Now, you may imagine that accelerating the crown process compromises the quality of the restoration — this is simply not true! Dr. Santoro does not need to sacrifice the strength or durability of a crown just to deliver it quickly. CEREC crowns are beautiful, durable and long-lasting. They are created from top-quality materials that are very strong and can withstand the forces of biting and chewing for years.
If you would like more information about CEREC crowns, please don’t hesitate to contact our practice. We are happy to answer your questions or schedule a visit for you to meet Dr. Santoro.
