Dental technology continues to change and improve each year, and one advancement is the introduction of CEREC technology. This state-of-the-art, in-office milling machine allows the dentist to create quality dental crowns, inlays, and onlays, so patients don’t have to wear a temporary crown. CEREC eliminates the need for a second visit to place a dental crown, because the crown is designed, fabricated, and placed in just one visit. Yet, is CEREC always the best choice for a crown? In some cases, a lab-made restoration is still the best choice.
Dr. Brad Greenfield, your Lake Orion, MI dentist, shares some additional information about the CEREC milling system in today’s blog post.
Is CEREC Always the Best Option?
CEREC-made crowns are beautiful, all-ceramic restorations. They’re durable, too, in addition to being convenient for busy patients. However, CEREC isn’t necessarily the best choice for all cases. One factor is color gradient.
CEREC crowns are manufactured from a single ceramic block placed within the milling machine. While restorations made from CEREC look almost natural, they lack the unique color gradient that natural teeth possess. Though this gradient is subtle, create talented dental ceramist can achieve the attractive nuance in a lab-made crown.
For molars, the color gradient factor isn’t an issue, since people don’t often see our back teeth. On front teeth, though, the subtle difference of a CEREC crown may seem obvious. As an experienced cosmetic dentist, Dr. Greenfield will advise you if he thinks you would be happier with a lab-made crown.
Pros to Using CEREC
Aside from the color gradient issue, CEREC offers a number of advantages for both the doctor and patient. These include:
- Custom-crafted dental crowns, inlays, and onlays take shape in just a few minutes.
- Wearing a temporary crown is no longer necessary.
- Since CEREC creates all-ceramic restorations, they’re ideal for patients with metal allergies who cannot wear all-metal or porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns..
CEREC Technology is Available at Lake Orion Family Dentistry
If you’re curious about CEREC technology, ask Dr. Greenfield to explain what this milling system can do for you. Then, together, you can decide if a CEREC-made restoration is the best treatment option for your case. To schedule an appointment at our Lake Orion, MI dental practice, call (248) 693-6213. Also, visit our website to learn more about services, to access patient forms, and to review our smile gallery. We happily serve patients in Clarkston, Auburn Hills, Oxford, Rochester Hills, and neighboring communities.
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