Traditionally the method for getting a crown -- now another question I get often is why don't you just place a filling doc? I'll answer that another day -- involves a messy impression (mold of your mouth). Then you have to wear a temporary for about 3-4 weeks while you wait for your permanent crown to be made by a lab. Doesn't sound fun does it? Well it isn't because during the 3 weeks, you run the risk of it falling off, breaking off, it being sensitive, etc. It's called a temporary for a reason!
The latest technology is getting a crown the same visit. How is that possible? Using a computer, I can now take a picture of your tooth before and during working on it. The brand name of the machine is typically called CEREC. So if you hear that someone got a CEREC crown, they got a crown on the same visit without a temporary!
CEREC technology is very sweet. It is all digital. An image of your tooth is captured and the computer creates your tooth digitally on the screen. From there I can edit and manipulate the tooth as I like. Think of it as 3D photoshop. Then a machine (CAD-CAM technology) will mill your tooth out of a solid piece of porcelain in about 15 minutes. When it is done, the new crown is polished, verified to fit and bonded into your mouth! Major advantages to CEREC technology include obviously no waiting, more conservative crown (b/c it is beautiful porcelain so more tooth structure can be saved to make it pretty), decreased sensitivity (because your tooth is sealed immediately with a crown) and no metal in your mouth (if you have the rare chance of allergy to metals).
So next time you need a crown, ask for CEREC crowns!
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