Tag Archives: one visit crowns

CEREC crowns

Why Does My CEREC Crown Look Like a Piece of Chicklet Gum?

My dentist got in this new CEREC machine. He was so excited. In fact, I remember him talking about how he couldn’t wait to get it at my last appointment. So, when I needed a crown, he was almost giddy. He’d get to use his new toy. I was happy for him and happy about only needing one appointment. But, when I got the crown, it’s way whiter than the rest of my teeth and looks like a rectangular piece of Chicklet gum. I can’t believe my dentist was so excited about this. Is that was CEREC crowns always look like? I wouldn’t mind if it were a back tooth, but it’s a front tooth and very distracting.

Cyrill K.

Dear Cyrill,

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “The only difference between men and boys is the size of their toys.” It sounds like your dentist was as joyful as a boy at Christmas with his new CEREC machine. While it is the CEREC which mills the crowns, it’s the dentist who designs the crown.

If your crown looks like unnatural, it’s not because it’s a CEREC crown. It’s because your dentist isn’t a skilled cosmetic dentist. Have you tried telling him how unhappy you are with the crown? He might be willing to re-do it, especially if it means he gets to use his new machine again. Or, he may give you a refund.

If the color difference is the only issue, you may want to consider whitening the surrounding teeth to match the crown. Any teeth whitening you do will not affect the crown. It only changes the color of natural tooth structures. However, you mentioned the shape being different from the other teeth too, so re-doing it is the only thing which will fix that.

If for some reason he refuses, you may want to get a second opinion on the crown. If it’s obviously mismatched to the surrounding teeth, that dentist could put pressure on him to refund your money. Dentists care about what their peers think of their work.

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

CEREC crowns

Crowns without a temporary

I needed to get a dental crown. My temporary crown has fallen off. Of course, my know it all sister told me if I’d have gotten a cerec crown I wouldn’t have needed a temporary to begin with.  I’m sure she’d correct (she always seems to be), but can you tell me what this cerec thing is?

Nate- Boston

Nate,

I have a sister like that. As much as I hate to tell you this, she is right. CEREC crowns are milled at your appointment by a computer. They’re generally ready in about twenty minutes.

Because they’re done by computer, they generally will fit better as well.  You’ll have to find a dentist who uses CEREC technology.

Hopefully, your current dentist took care of your temporary crown.  You don’t want to leave that off because it can throw off your bite and your permanent crown won’t fit.

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