Will CEREC Crowns Blend with My Natural Teeth

I’ve been hearing a lot about CEREC crowns and I really want to take the plunge and get my dental work done. I’m more drawn to the simplicity of it all- go in and get it done and then just be done with it all. There’s no waiting with a temporary forever. My thing is, I really don’t care for vanity treatments. I think movie star smiles look ridiculous. Their teeth are too perfect- too white, too straight. That’s not the kind of smile I want. I have some slightly crooked teeth and they’ve darkened over the years, but that doesn’t bother me at all. It looks natural and that is beautiful to me. So, if I go in and see someone who does CEREC crowns, can the dentist make it look like my teeth are now, so it blends with my natural teeth? If not, I’ll probably just go the traditional route, as the dentist I usually see works with a lab who does nice shading. I just hate to wait.

Thanks,

Melvin

Dear Melvin,

CEREC crowns come in all kinds of colors and can be shaded to match your teeth, so they blend perfectly and naturally into your smile.

With that said, not every doctor puts in the effort to make sure that the artistry is there. If you choose to go this route, be sure to ask to see photos of the doctor’s CEREC crowns, so you can gauge the results you can expect.

This may not be of huge importance for a tooth in the back, but front teeth are very hard to get right, especially if your teeth have multiple shades. Sometimes even labs have trouble pulling that off. Your best bet is to find out who performs the service in your area and review his smile gallery or before and after photos. If you see quality work, and you’re certain those are photos of CEREC crowns, you can probably go ahead with confidence. However, if you’re dealing with a front tooth and the dentist does not have photos of anterior in-office restorations, you may want to stick with the process you know will produce the results you want. It really comes down to how skilled of an artist the dentist is and how much time he invests in each restoration. Best of luck to you.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Matt Roper.

I Got Sick at My Sedation Dentist

I am kind of embarrassed. I think I ruined my dental appointment. I’ve been avoiding the dentist, so he called me to ask what the problem was. I told him I’ve been having some anxiety issues. He suggested sedation dentistry. I agreed and felt pretty comfortable. My appointment was scheduled for two. He told me not to eat. I thought I’d be fine, but around 10 I got super hungry.  I just had a candy bar and was sure it would be out of my tummy by my appointment. But, when I got the sedation, I vomited. I was too embarrassed to tell my dentist I ate. He rescheduled.  Do you think it was the eating or something else?

Loriee E. – Denver

Loriee,

It was likely the sedation that’s a problem. The medicine makes you a little woozy. When you add food to that, you’re just asking to vomit.  Many dentists won’t treat you if they know you’ve eaten because they worry about aspiration.

You’ll like sedation once it’s done with an empty stomach. It will completely change how you feel about dentistry.

If you have a high metabolism and it’s hard for you to go a long time without eating, you may tell them it’s important to schedule you in the morning.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Matt Roper.