Imagine you’re about to go to an interview for your dream job in Lakeway, Texas. Unfortunately, a day or two before the big event, you break or crack one of your pearly whites.
What do you do? One of your best options is to get the quick and efficient dental work known as “same-day crowns.”
So, what exactly are same-day dental crowns? What are their pros and cons, and how do they differ from other dental crown options?
In this guide brought to you by the experts at Sky Ridge Dental, we’ll discuss the advantages and drawbacks of CEREC dental restorations. So please read on, as what you learn here can help you better understand same-day crowns vs. traditional crowns.
Same-Day Crowns: A Quick Overview
According to the American College of Prosthodontists, the most common type of dental restoration is a single dental crown, with an estimated 2.3 million implant-supported crowns made annually. The technology behind same-day crowns can manufacture single crowns designed to restore just a single tooth. However, it also allows dentists to create entire dental bridges on the same day!
The technology we’re talking about is CEREC, which stands for “Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramic.” CEREC machines combine the following innovative technologies:
- 3D digital imaging
- Computer-aided design (CAD)
- Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)
With that combination, your dentist can design your dental crown digitally and perfect it before creating it.
Benefits and Advantages of Same-Day Crowns
One of the most significant advantages of same-day crowns over traditional ones is the quickness of the process. With same-day crowns, your dentist can restore your broken, chipped, or cracked tooth with a permanent ceramic crown in just one appointment. Likewise, they can use CEREC technology to replace failed or missing crowns.
With traditional crowns, you’d usually have to go to the dentist for two visits. The first one is for the check-up and placement of a temporary restoration. The second one, often scheduled one to two weeks from the initial visit, is when your dentist will place the permanent restoration.
The benefits of same-day crowns go beyond convenience, though. Here are other perks you can enjoy when you get these quick and innovative dental restorations.
No Gooey or Uncomfortable Dental Molds
If you opt for traditional dental crowns, your dentist may take physical impressions of your teeth using traditional dental putty. Dental putty is a paste-like material made of alginate or polyvinylsiloxane.
To take impressions using dental putty, your dentist will perform the following steps:
- Dispense the putty into a U-shaped impression tray
- Place the tray inside your mouth and onto the arch where the damaged tooth is
- Instruct you to avoid moving your mouth or tongue
- Wait for a few minutes for the putty to set and harden
- Remove the tray with a quick, firm snap
While taking impressions with dental putty is safe, it can be pretty uncomfortable. Your dentist may also have to redo them if they’re not accurate.
Thanks to the 3D digital imaging technology used in CEREC machines, you won’t have to go through all that if you opt for same-day crowns.
Get a Dazzling Smile Sooner
According to the New York Post, a recent survey of 2,000 Americans aged 25 to 45 found that over half feel uncomfortable about their smiles. You may feel the same way if you have a broken, chipped, or cracked tooth.
Fortunately, you can resolve that problem the same day you visit a dentist specializing in CEREC crowns. You enter their dental office with a damaged tooth and come out about one to two hours later with a dazzling smile.
Prevent More Injury
As mentioned above, traditional crowns involve wearing a temporary crown for a week or two. The problem is that these temporary restorations don’t always fit perfectly and may come loose. An ill-fitting crown may injure the surrounding tissues or fall off at the worst time, such as when talking to someone.
A loose crown also raises the risk of a broken, chipped, or cracked tooth sustaining more damage. Also, as News-Medical.Net points out, the mouth is home to about 700 species of bacteria. If your temporary crown is too loose, harmful bacteria may enter and wreak more havoc on the damaged tooth.
Since a same-day crown fits perfectly from day one, you can worry less about those risks.
Less Disruptive
Traditional crowns would require you to work at least two trips to the dentist into your schedule. If you’re very busy, it can be challenging and disruptive.
So, why stress yourself out trying to manage multiple appointments if you can get your dental crown during your first dental visit?
Perfect Fit
With a CEREC machine, your dentist can accurately design and manufacture your same-day crown, ensuring a perfect fit.
On the other hand, traditional crowns, especially those created based on dental putty impressions, don’t always fit perfectly on the first try. If there’s too big of a difference, your dentist may have to return it to the lab for corrections. If that happens, your dentist will ask you to schedule a third appointment.
Cost-Effective
Since same-day crowns eliminate the need for temporary restorations, they’re typically more cost-effective than traditional crowns. You can also save on travel costs, as you’ll only have to visit the dentist once to get your CEREC crowns placed.
Cons of Same-Day Crowns
One of the primary drawbacks of same-day crowns is the limited choice in their material. With CEREC dental crowns, you’d only have one option: ceramic. With traditional dental crowns, you have more choices, such as:
- Ceramic
- Metal
- Porcelain
- Porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns
Ceramic same-day crowns are still an excellent choice, though, as they look more like natural teeth than metal or PFM crowns.
Enjoy the Many Benefits of Same-Day Crowns
From convenience to cost-effectiveness and reduced risk of injury, these are just some of the many perks and pros of same-day crowns. And while you would only have one choice in their material, you don’t have to worry too much because ceramic is aesthetic and durable.
So, if you’re ready to improve or regain your dazzling smile, our doctors and caring staff at Sky Ridge Dental will be happy to help! With our dentists’ many years of experience, we can assist with all your family’s oral health care needs. Our comfortable dental office in Lakeway, TX, specializes in high-quality same-day crowns, pediatric and cosmetic dentistry, periodontics, dental implants, and more.
Schedule your appointment with us today! We look forward to helping you achieve optimal oral health.
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