What Is the Difference Between a CEREC and a Crown?

What Is the Difference Between a CEREC and a Crown?

29th September 2022

If you want to replace missing teeth or restore decaying teeth, you might consider getting dental crowns. But should you opt for CEREC crowns or traditional dental crowns?

Let’s look at the features of CEREC crowns below.

What Are CEREC Crowns?

Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramic or CEREC crowns use computer-aided design. So, your dental crowns are created in just a single appointment! This means you won’t need to wear any temporary dental crowns either.

• First, your dentist will create a 3D impression of your mouth with the help of a small camera.
• Then, a ceramic crown is created by using a milling unit.
• Next, each tooth is glazed and painted to match the rest of your mouth.
• Lastly, the tooth is bonded into your mouth in just a few minutes!

Because CEREC crowns are created with such precision and advanced technology, they feel and look like real teeth. And, what’s more, the whole procedure takes only about 2 hours.

CEREC Crowns Vs Traditional Dental Crowns

While traditional crowns take multiple appointments, CEREC crowns are made in just one visit!

Traditional dental crowns are made of metal; this could be silver, stainless steel, or gold. On the other hand, CEREC crowns are made using resin or ceramic materials.

While both types of dental crowns last at least 10-15 years, their lifespan does depend on your oral hygiene.

So, How Do You Maintain Good Oral Health?

1. Don’t forget to brush at night too
You must brush at least two times in a day. There are a lot of germs that accumulate in your teeth throughout the day. Brushing before you go to sleep helps get rid of those.

2. Brush the right way
Those dental crowns won’t last long if you neglect ideal brushing techniques. You should remember to take your time when you brush your teeth. Move the toothbrush in circular, gentle motions so you can get rid of plaque. If you don’t get rid of excess plaque, you could be prone to gingivitis.

3. Don’t neglect your tongue
Did you know that plaque can accumulate on your tongue as well? This, in turn, leads to bad mouth odor. So, remember, every time you brush your teeth, brush your tongue too.

4. Opt for toothpaste that contains fluoride

Flouoride prevents tooth decay. It also serves as a protective barrier for your teeth. How? By strengthening your enamel and making it resistant to acids.

5. Floss in addition to brushing
Both are equally important! Not only does flossing get rid of food particles stuck in between your teeth, but it also helps reduce plaque, gum disease, and prevents inflammation.

6. Use a mouthwash

CEREC crowns alone won’t solve your dental problems! Consider using mouthwash. According to research, it helps reduce acid in the mouth, re-mineralizes your teeth, and cleans areas in the mouth that aren’t easy to brush.

7. Stay hydrated
Drink a lot of water. In fact, drink it after every meal. This way, you can wash away any excess sticky foods.

8. Eat fresh veggies and fruits
Fruits and vegetables are highly fibrous. Although they seem cruncy and hard to chew, they’re highly beneficial for teeth! So, avoid eating those excessively processed foods.

However, don’t eat a lot of hard food items right after getting your dental crown fitted. This would include steak, hard bread, granola, nuts, and pretzels.

9. Avoid acidic and sugary foods
After you get those dental crowns, don’t forget to go easy on the sugar. Sugar converts to acid, which in turn erodes your enamel; which in turn causes cavities. Additionally, an excess of coffee, tea, and acidic food can also wear down your enamel. This doesn’t mean cutting out these foods altogether from your diet. But it doesn’t hurt being more mindful.

10. Visit your dentist at least twice a year
No matter how regularly you brush and floss your teeth, you should still see your dentist at least twice a year. This will help them remove calculus, find any undetected cavities, and even offer solutions to potential dental problems.

3 Ways to Care for CEREC Crowns

Once you’ve got those ceramic teeth fitted right in, you’ll need to ensure the following too:

1. Get rid of those bad dental habits

For example, do you bite your nails? This could cause damage to your CEREC crowns. Other bad habits include chewing on hard objects like pencils, or grinding your teeth when under stress, and even using your teeth as tools. By this we mean, trying to break open packages using your teeth, or removing clothes tags in the same way.

2. Use a night guard
If you grind your teeth when you’re awake, you can at least control it. But what if you do it subconsciously while sleeping? If it happens all the time, it could put your dental crowns at risk as well. That’s why, it would be great if you got a night guard to protect your teeth.

3. Keep the margins clean
Once your CEREC crowns are fitted, they don’t cover your gums entirely. This is a preventative measure, to ensure your gum tissue doesn’t get damaged. So, that small margin that remains exposed around the crown must be cleaned. This is a good way to prevent plaque buildup.

In conclusion, both CEREC crowns and traditional crowns are good for your teeth. They both serve the same purpose. Although they differ in many ways, they yield the same result.

Even though CEREC crowns are time saving, look aesthetically better, and require little to no re-work, one might feel they aren’t ideal for all teeth. For instance, if you have a tooth fracture, a camera may not be able to entirely detect the extent of the tooth damage caused by the fracture. In such a case, it’s best to opt for a traditional dental crown.