CEREC Crowns in Winston-Salem, NC
If you have a severely worn, cracked, or weakened tooth, CEREC crowns are an effective and highly convenient way of restoring the appearance and functionality of your tooth. These crowns are designed, created, and installed using computer-assisted technology and are usually a same-day restorative dental procedure that will get you in and out of the dentist’s chair in one afternoon.
What are Dental Crowns?
A dental crown is a cap that’s placed on a damaged tooth. It completely encases the visible portion of the tooth, restoring its size, shape, and strength and improving its appearance. Dental crowns can be made from several materials, including porcelain, ceramic, zirconia, metal, composite resin, or a combination of different materials.
What Are Same-Day Dental Crowns?
Same-day crowns are made using CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics). This state-of-the-art technology uses computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) to design dental restorations like crowns. The CEREC system creates a virtual model of the mouth and teeth and then designs the dental crown in one visit. Unlike traditional crowns, same-day crowns are often made from a durable ceramic material.
Same-day crowns typically involve the following steps:
- After numbing and preparing the tooth that requires restoration, your dentist scans your mouth with a digital intraoral scanner.
- Your dentist will use CAD/CAM technology to take those digital images and create a digital model of your tooth.
- The design specifications are then relayed to milling or grinding equipment that makes the crown with a high degree of accuracy. The crown is then placed in your mouth, necessary adjustments are made, and the crown is bonded to your tooth.
Difference Between Traditional and CEREC Crowns
While in both cases, you get the same result in the end, which is a dental crown, there are several reasons why you should choose same-day crowns:
- Same-day procedure and only requires one visit: Dental crowns without CEREC produce the same product and result but take 2+ weeks to complete, requiring more than one visit. Instead of waiting for weeks for your new crowns, you can walk into our dental office and walk out with your new crown the same day.
- Durability and appearance: Same-day and traditional crowns last the same time (7-10 years). Additionally, same-day crowns usually look more natural, resembling the surrounding teeth.
- Incredibly convenient: Same-day crowns are highly suitable for many as it limits the disruption to your schedule and the stress of multiple dental visits. Also, by cutting your dentist’s visits in half and eliminating the need for temporary crowns, same-day crowns help you save money.
What Kinds of Conditions are Treated with Crowns?
Dental crowns can be used to treat several conditions, including:
- Attach or anchor a dental bridge in place
- Improve a misshapen or severely discolored tooth
- Strengthen a fractured or weakened tooth
- Cover and support a tooth with a large filling and not much natural tooth left
- Restore a broken or severely worn-down tooth
- Protect a weak tooth from breaking or holding together parts of a cracked tooth
- Cover a dental implant
- Support a tooth that has undergone a root canal treatment
Do Same-Day Crowns Hurt?
Same-day crowns are usually painless, with a bit of tenderness in the first 24-48 hours due to the nature of preparing a tooth for a crown. Before the procedure, the area around the tooth to be fitted with a crown will be numbed, so at most, you may only feel gentle pressure on your tooth. The dentist may recommend over-the-counter pain medications to help with any soreness.
Caring for a CEREC Crown
Taking good care of your CEREC crown can help prolong its life. Maintain good oral hygiene by brushing and flossing at least twice daily, and schedule regular dental visits for cleaning and checkups.
CEREC Dentist in Winston-Salem, NC
If you’re looking for a durable, natural-looking crown, consider CEREC crowns in Winston-Salem, NC. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!