If you’re like most of Elite Dental Aesthetic’s Reno area patients, you appreciate convenience in every aspect of life. In other words, straightforward processes with minimal disruption to your schedule.
Multiple Appointments Can Be a Hassle
When it comes to medical or dental procedures, convenience means the fewest visits possible. Hopefully, in only one visit.
Let’s discuss dental crowns, for example. Most individuals need a restoration like a dental crown at some point in their life. A dental crown is one of the most versatile dental restorations. It covers the total visible portion of a tooth and can fix a weakened tooth, a tooth with a large cavity, or a tooth that has undergone a root canal. A durable dental crown protects the remaining tooth, allows normal function, and prevents shifting of the surrounding teeth
CEREC Same Day Crowns
CEREC is a revolutionary system that allows for same-day dental crowns. It utilizes CAD (Computer Aided Design) and CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) to design and manufacture a perfectly fitted crown in just one visit.
CAD uses 3D software that photographs teeth to create a perfect model. In some dental practices, the patient can see the 3D digital renderings on a screen during their visit.
CEREC uses an infrared camera to transmit the tooth’s exact shape to the CAD software. Once there is a precise 3D digital scan, it’s time to actually engineer the restoration. That is what the CAM machine does. CAM is the milling process, in which a small bit-like device powers at extremely high speeds to chisel a custom-fitting crown out of a ceramic block.
6 Steps For a One-Visit Dental Crown
Here is a recap of the entire same-day dental crown operation using CEREC:
Tooth Preparation: Your dentist will prepare the site for your crown by clearing away cavities or portions of the damaged tooth.
Intraoral Scanning: Next, your dental professional will use an optical scanner to create a 3D rendering of the damaged tooth and surrounding teeth.
Restoration Design: With the 3D images, the dentist will use CAD software to design the final restoration.
Milling: A milling machine uses the 3D scan and precisely carves the crown from a single small brick of ceramic.
Sintering and Polishing: The dentist then stains or glazes to make the surface of the dental crown look like a natural tooth. Following that, the dentist polishes the restoration to perfection.
Cementation: Finally, the restoration is permanently affixed to your tooth.
Did we mention that this occurs in one appointment?
How Long Does Each Step Actually Take?
Patients often want to know what to expect in terms of time when scheduling a same-day crown appointment. Tooth preparation and numbing typically take 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the condition of the tooth underneath. The digital scan itself is fast, usually just a few minutes of gentle scanning with the wand-like intraoral camera, and there is no messy impression putty involved. Designing the restoration on screen takes another 10 to 15 minutes while Dr. Adams reviews the shape, contact points, and bite alignment. The milling machine then carves the crown from a solid ceramic block, a process that generally runs 15 to 20 minutes depending on the complexity of the restoration. Once milling finishes, staining, glazing, and cementation typically add another 20 to 30 minutes. Altogether, most same-day crown appointments are completed in about two hours from start to finish, all in a single visit.
What Happens If an Adjustment Is Needed?
Because the entire crown is designed and milled in-office, adjustments are handled immediately rather than requiring a follow-up visit. If the bite feels slightly off during the try-in step, Dr. Adams can polish or refine the fit right at the chair. In the rare case that a crown needs to be remilled entirely, whether due to a design change or a fit issue, the digital file can simply be adjusted and a new crown milled from another ceramic block within the same appointment. This is one of the clearest advantages of an in-office CEREC workflow over sending a case to an outside dental laboratory, where any correction would mean an additional appointment and another wait.
Need a dental crown or cosmetic dentistry consultation? Call us today to schedule an appointment.
Curious How CEREC Crowns Compare to Other Options?
This walkthrough covers how the same-day process works from start to finish. If you are weighing whether a same-day crown is the right fit for your specific tooth, our comparison of CEREC crowns versus traditional lab-made crowns breaks down the appointment timelines and trade-offs in more detail. Patients who are specifically concerned about how long a same-day crown will hold up may also want to read our review of same-day crown durability and material strength, and anyone curious about getting the color exactly right can see how we approach shade matching for a same-day crown.
Contact Elite Dental Aesthetics:
775-200-1956
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
85 Foothill Rd Ste 2 Reno, NV
Reno, Nevada
89511
Frequently Asked Questions About the CEREC Same-Day Crown Process
How long does the entire CEREC crown appointment take?
Most same-day crown appointments are completed in about two hours from start to finish, covering tooth preparation, digital scanning, design, milling, and final cementation, all in a single visit.
Do I need a temporary crown with CEREC?
No. Since the permanent crown is designed and milled while you wait, there is no need for a temporary crown or a second appointment to place the final restoration.
Is the digital scan uncomfortable?
Most patients find the digital scan more comfortable than a traditional putty impression. The scanning wand is passed over the teeth and does not require holding an uncomfortable tray in place while material sets.
What material is the crown milled from?
CEREC crowns are milled from solid ceramic blocks, which may include lithium disilicate, zirconia, or feldspathic porcelain depending on the location of the tooth and the aesthetic and strength requirements of the case.
Can any tooth receive a same-day CEREC crown?
Most teeth needing a crown are good candidates for the CEREC process. Complex cases involving multiple adjacent restorations or highly specific aesthetic requirements are evaluated individually to determine whether same-day or lab-based fabrication is the better fit.