Digital technology allows Owensboro patients to get a same day dental crown

At Dental Designs of Owensboro Cosmetic and Family Dentistry in Owensboro, dentists use an innovative computer program and high-tech milling system that can deftly craft a new ceramic crown in a single office visit.

Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Crowns, or CEREC, uses computer-aided design software to create and install crowns in a single office visit. Since its introduction, more than 25 million CEREC crown procedures have been performed.

Drs. Thompson and Frey have completed multiple courses by CEREC, receiving two certificates of recognition for their skills. They have nearly a decade of experience using this system, with exceptional results.

At your appointment for a same day dental crown, your damaged tooth will be prepared for the procedure as with a typical crown. This involves removing the diseased enamel and dentin tissue. However, instead of making a mold of your tooth, the dentist will snap a digital image of the tooth that is sent to the CEREC software system. Before your eyes, the program will make a 3-D rendering of the new crown, from which the dentist can manipulate the finer details of size, shape, and color directly onscreen. Once you both are satisfied with the design, the file is directly transmitted to an on-site ceramic milling machine to sculpt. Depending on the complexity of the tooth, it can be milled in as little as six minutes.

The finished ceramic crown is then bonded over your prepared tooth. Many same day dental crown procedures can be completed in about one hour.

The costs of a CEREC crown are comparable to traditional dental crowns since there are fewer office visits and the crown is created on-site versus being sent to an off-site lab for production.

Beyond time-saving, the benefits of a CEREC crown supersede the results obtained from a traditional metal alloy or gold crown. A CEREC crown can match the shape and size of your natural healthy tooth and, since it resembles natural tooth material, it can be crafted to seamlessly close a gap between teeth or adjust the tooth angle so your teeth are more perfectly aligned.