What are CEREC One-Visit crowns?
CEREC stands for the Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics.
This is the CEREC Omnicam
Easy videos of teeth.
But what is it actually?
CEREC Omnicam is innovative equipment that allows our office to use 3D streaming video of your teeth and special software to design a custom crowns, veneers, and fillings in our office. The design is then sent wirelessly to a milling machine in our office and is milled from a solid block of ceramic. Once baked, custom shaded, and polished it is bonded to your tooth. You leave the office within 90 minutes with an exceptionally strong, beautiful custom restoration.
Patients also love the full color virtual models of their mouth produced by Omnican. This technology is excellent for patient education.
Let’s explore some of the advantages of this procedure to you as a patient:
- Eliminates the need for filling your mouth with mushy, unpleasant impression material
- There is no need to wear a temporary crown for weeks which may feel unnatural, come loose, break, or leak leading to tooth sensitivity
- The all ceramic crown is highly esthetic and match your natural teeth unlike the old opaque porcelain to metal crowns
- One-Visit crowns are much more convenient. There can be less drilling, fewer injections , and less time out of your hectic schedule. Rather than taking 2 days off, only a couple of hours may be missed from work. Also, if you are a college student away at school how convenient would it be to only have to make one trip home.
- You as the patient get to see the shape and look of the restoration and provide input before it is completed
- Since your crown design images are saved on the computer a exact duplicate can be made if it does get damaged.
One visit. No impression material. No temporary. Great results. What are you waiting for?!
First Discussion Topic- Types of Crowns: Which types are better?
I decided to begin with this topic because I have found much confusion both among dentists and the general public. I am going to limit my comments to permanent crowns. However, you can also ask me any questions about temporary crowns.
There are 3 general types of crowns: all metal, porcelain fused to metal, & all ceramic or porcelain. (All other types I consider temporary or long-term temporary.) These crowns can be full crowns, covering the whole tooth, or partial crowns. Let us discuss each of these types separately.
All Metal Crowns
which are made of gold or other alloys have the following advantages
- Less tooth needs to be removed.
- Withstand biting and chewing forces best with the least force transmitted to those opposing teeth biting against them.
- Minimal tooth wear to opposing teeth.
The color is the main drawback and why these are usually suggested only for out of sight teeth.
Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns
can be made to more closely match the color of your existing teeth. However:
- The crown’s porcelain may chip or break off.
- The porcelain is harder against the opposing acting more like a hammer and also causes more wear.
- More tooth has to be removed to allow for both the metal and the porcelain.
- Because of the metal lining, they quite often appear more opaque than the natural tooth.
- At the edge, especially if your gums recede, the metal can show through the porcelain appearing as a dark line.
These crowns are used for front and back teeth.
All Ceramic or all porcelain crowns
are the most aesthetic and provide the best color match. They are also the best choice for people with metal allergies. But:
- They are typically not as strong as porcelain to metal crowns (However, improvements are being made all the time)
- They wear the teeth more than metal crowns but about the same as porcelain to metal.
- There are many types and the all have different properties in terms of strength, opacity, wear, and type of preparation. Your dentist needs to know which will be best in your situation.
These are a great choice for front teeth but certain materials can be used for back teeth and even short span bridges (another discussion).
Please comment on this discussion of crown types. Ask me any questions. Do you know the type of crown that you have in your mouth?
Depending upon your responses, I may follow this up with a more detailed discussion of all ceramic crowns.
