Are CEREC Crowns Better Than Traditional Crowns?

Have you ever been to the dentist’s confused about what type of crown you should get? Are you unsure if you should get a CEREC crown?

It can be a daunting task choosing between two well-established materials without knowing everything there is about the two. Keep reading to learn if CEREC crowns are better than traditional crowns.

Traditional Dental Crowns

As the name suggests, it is placed over a tooth. It is a tooth-shaped cap-like structure attached to a tooth to restore tooth shape, size, and strength. It also improves the tooth’s appearance.

Crowns are bonded to the tooth, covering the whole portion visible above the gum line. Here are some major reasons why your dentist might have recommended a dental crown:

• Weak tooth
• Broken tooth
• Worn tooth
• A tooth with a large filling
• Dental bridge
• Misshaped tooth
• Discoloured tooth
• Dental implant
• Cosmetic enhancement

Making Traditional Crowns

Traditional dental crowns are made using various materials. Stainless steel, metal alloys with high content of gold or platinum, porcelain-fused-to-metal, all-resin, etc. You will need multiple visits to the dentist’s office to place a traditional crown.

During the first visit, your dentist will take numerous X-rays to check the roots and surrounding bone. You might require a root canal treatment if your tooth is excessively decayed or there’s a risk of infection to the tooth’s pulp.

Your dentist will reshape and make an impression of your tooth during this visit. And you’ll receive a temporary crown to protect your tooth while the permanent crown is being made.

On your second visit, your dentist will remove the temporary crown and check your permanent crown for fit and colour. If the crown looks and fits well, you’ll receive a local anaesthetic and your permanent crown. It is usually firmly fixed in place using dental cement.

What Is A CEREC Crown?

CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. Like traditional crowns, it is used in restoring damaged teeth. Chipped, cracked, and worn teeth can be repaired using CEREC crowns. They can also be used after you’ve undergone root canal therapy.

How Long Does It Take To Place A CEREC Crown?

While traditional crowns require more than a week and multiple visits, CEREC crowns can be placed in one sitting. All thanks to computer-aided design (CAD) and (Machining). The aspects mentioned above make CEREC crowns more efficient than traditional crowns.

CEREC crowns are made from a block of ceramic material shaped to fit your tooth. The crown is made in your dentist’s office and doesn’t require a dental laboratory.

This ease of manufacturing doesn’t make it any weaker than traditional crowns. Since you can get the crown placed right away, you do not have to deal with a temporary crown.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Traditional Dental Crowns

Traditional crowns are professionally made in a laboratory full of experts who do this for a living. Although they take longer to make, they do have a few advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages

1. Affordability: The most important advantage of traditional crowns is their affordability. The cost varies case by case. But they are mostly cheaper when compared to CEREC crowns, and most dental insurances provide coverage too.
2. Level Of Detail: Traditional crowns can be extremely detailed and natural-looking. These characteristics make the traditional crown suitable for front teeth.
3. Durability: They are extremely durable too. Some varieties of traditional crowns bond to your tooth and are less likely to get damaged or fail.

Disadvantages

1. Lengthy Process: Getting a traditional crown is a long and tedious process involving several visits over a few weeks. Making room in your schedule for dentist appointments can be demanding.
2. Adjustments Cost Extra: In case your crown requires an adjustment, you may have to get a new crown altogether. And along with that comes additional time and appointments. Nobody would want to go through that.
3. Bulk Temporary Crown: You will be required to wear a huge temporary crown while your permanent crown is being made. It can be uncomfortable, and you must be careful not to damage or dislodge it.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of CEREC Crowns

Made in a matter of minutes, the CEREC crowns utilise technological advancements to save you valuable time and money. The computerised machinery takes a solid chunk of porcelain and carves your crown out of it. Let’s talk advantages and disadvantages now.

Advantages

1. Modern Scanning Techniques: You do not have to deal with uncomfortable dental putty to get a CEREC crown. Your dentist will use handheld scanners to carry out a detailed intraoral scan to create a contact-free digital impression of your tooth.
2. Fast Process: As mentioned earlier, you can get your CEREC crown in the time it takes to reshape and take an impression of the traditional crown. It saves you time, and the crown is made to fit you perfectly.
3. No Discomfort Involved: Since the CEREC crown is made and placed in a couple of hours, you do not have to wear a temporary crown. And you do not have to deal with the discomfort and inconvenience.

Disadvantages

1. Slightly Less Detailed: Once again, the difference is minimal. But on close inspection, you will be able to notice that the CEREC crown is not as minutely detailed as a traditional crown. Traditional crowns can be indistinguishable from natural teeth when made by experts.
2. Has Limitations: If the tooth is broken beyond the scanner’s reach, a CEREC crown cannot be created. In such cases, you will have to choose a traditional crown.
3. Slightly Delicate: Traditional crowns are made using a two-piece design containing a porcelain top over a metal base. Compared to that, the all-porcelain construction of the CEREC crown can be ever so slightly less durable. Emphasis on the ‘ever so slightly’.

So

Getting a traditional dental crown in the UK can cost you between £250 and £800. In comparison, a CEREC crown will cost £500. And in the case of a traditional crown, you will have to spend on multiple dentist visits too. In the long run, the traditional crown can be more expensive compared to the CEREC crown. And based on your case, a CEREC crown might be far better than a traditional crown.