Considering CEREC® Crowns? Pros and Cons From a Dentist’s Perspective

CEREC® technology has been around for more than three decades, but the technique only became popular recently. The main reason it is preferred over conventional restorations is that patients get to spend less time in the dental office. This article talks about the pros and cons of CEREC® crowns.

Pros of CEREC® crowns

The following are advantages of choosing CEREC® crowns to restore a tooth.

The crowns save time

Recently, Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramic (CEREC®) crowns have created a highly efficient and innovative method of restoring damaged teeth. Traditionally, patients will have an impression of their teeth made, and the dental lab will produce the dental crown from this. The process takes about two weeks and multiple appointments before the patient receives their permanent crown.

In contrast, with CEREC® crowns, every aspect of the treatment is completed in the dental office on the same day. From the impression to the final fitting of the final crown, the entire wait time should not be more than two hours.

They are less invasive

With CEREC® crowns, patients no longer have to deal with the messy impression taking. Instead, it uses digital imaging that generates 3D virtual impressions of the tooth. The images are sent to the milling machine that will produce a matching ceramic crown. The process is far less invasive for patients, and there is a higher level of accuracy with little or no adjustment necessary.

No temporary crown is required

With regular dental crowns, the dentist may need to fit a temporary crown until the permanent one is ready. The temporary crown does not always fit well and has been known to hurt the gums. With same-day CEREC® crowns, the patient can get a permanent crown for their damaged tooth in a few hours without needing a temporary restoration.

Cons of CEREC® crowns

Drawbacks of choosing CEREC® crowns include the following.

CEREC® crowns do not have the strength of certain types of regular crowns

CEREC® crowns are created from a ceramic block, and although they are strong, regular crowns can be produced from mixed materials like porcelain fused to metal or single materials like metals. The metal bonds more to the tooth, and the regular crowns tend to be sturdier and resilient.

CEREC® crowns are not suitable for every tooth

Unfortunately, CEREC® crowns are not suitable in all situations, especially when the tooth fracture goes beyond the gum line. The camera cannot assess the complete damage. In such cases, a regular crown using traditional impression taking would be more appropriate.

CEREC® technology sometimes cost more

Although CEREC® crowns remove the extra cost of production in an off-site dental lab, there is the cost of utilizing the latest technology. Advanced and innovative technology like this is expensive. Therefore, a CEREC® crown can cost slightly more. However, it makes up for this with better aesthetics and convenience and a generally less invasive procedure.

Final note

If you have a damaged tooth or would like to learn more about CEREC® crowns, book an appointment with the dentist. They will be happy to discuss your options.

Request an appointment here: or call Gilroy Dental Associates at (408) 842-2818 for an appointment in our Gilroy office.

Check out what others are saying about our services on Yelp: Read our Yelp reviews.