A crown is a dental restoration, usually used when the tooth is decayed almost beyond repair or it is broken. Crowns can be made from many different materials. The procedure can be messy, this is how it works: The dentist takes an impression of your tooth and then sends it to a laboratory where the crown in made. A temporary crown has to be worn until the real crown is ready. A temporary is usually made from some kind of plastic. This is not so durable, it can brake, it may not fit perfectly, you can experience sensitivity on your tooth and it can fall off easily. Well, having a crown made takes a long time and sometimes it can be very uncomfortable. If one of your front teeth needs to be replaced, it can be very embarrassing to walk without a tooth or having a weird looking plastic temporary crown. However, researchers try to improve different technologies every day, and they succeed most of the times.
There is a new technology that allows you to shorten the period of getting a crown. Actually, instead of waiting two or three weeks, your crown can be ready in fifteen minutes. Sounds great, right? You don’t have to make another appointment to get the crown. You can get it over with in just one stay. Did you hear about the CEREC technology? Thanks to this innovative procedure, the long process of getting a crown is over. Actually, CEREC is the leading company on this technology. The whole process is pretty simple. A picture is taken of your mouth and teeth with the help of the computer. After the image is ready, it can be manipulated in any way. The software is similar to Photoshop, but it is in 3D. After the model of the crown is ready, a machine mills it from porcelain. You only have to wait for about fifteen minutes. After the crown is ready, it is fitted and sealed on your tooth and you are good to go. There are many advantages of the CEREC technology. Besides the significantly reduced waiting time, the material of the crown is also better for your health. Sometimes regular crowns are made from metal, which can be allergenic. A CEREC crown is more comfortable, you don’t have to wear a temporary crown which might be unpleasant. Also, you will save some money in a long term. It is true that a CEREC crown is expensive.
However, the dentist has less work to do with it, so you won’t be charged as much. The pure porcelain used in this technology is white, so this type of crown is much more aesthetic than one made from some kind of metal. The CEREC technology is not that common, yet. You will have to check if it is available in your dentist’s office.