Do you need a dental crown but aren’t sure whether to use CEREC® technology or traditional crowns? Before you make this choice, you should know that there are several important differences between the two. Read on to learn the differences between regular crowns and this new technology and consult your dentist to decide which option is best for you.
The number of office visits
Restoration can be completed in a single visit. The dentist uses a milling machine to create the restoration and then fits it to your teeth during the appointment. Traditional crowns take at least two visits to complete. The dentist takes an impression of the tooth, and then the impression is sent to a dental lab for a technician to fabricate it. Once the crown is ready, it is sent back to the dentist to place during your second visit.
The impressions
The process of taking impressions for CEREC and traditional crowns is different. For traditional crowns, the impression is made by using a silicone tray filled with a putty-like substance, and the patient holds the tray to their teeth to make the impression. However, this method is not as accurate as of the new way.
Digital impressions are used to make the new type of crowns. The dentist will use an intraoral scanner to take 3D images of your teeth. These impressions are more accurate than the traditional impressions. After your dentist takes the impressions for the crowns, the images are then transferred to a computer.
Accuracy of the model
For traditional crowns to be created, dental lab technicians use the silicone impressions of the teeth as models. It is not uncommon for impressions not to have enough detail around the margins. This makes the technician get creative to make up for the missing details. Dentists do not have this issue with the digital impressions because the 3D images are accurate, and, if needed, the dentist can look at your actual teeth to compare the two. That is one of the benefits of this technology.
Traditional crowns can be made of porcelain, porcelain fused to metal, gold alloys, and base metal alloys. The new type of crowns can only be made of porcelain. Crowns that are made of metal can last longer than all-porcelain crowns, but many people say that these crowns cause tooth sensitivity.
Making the choice
Dentists use silicone trays to take impressions for traditional crowns, while they use intraoral scanners to take 3D images of your teeth for the models for crowns. These models are more accurate and lead to a better fitting crown and are only available in porcelain. Traditional crowns can be made of porcelain fused with metal, gold alloy, base metal alloys, or porcelain. Now that you know the key differences between traditional crowns and CEREC crowns, you can make a confident decision about which type of crown you want.
Request an appointment here: https://www.grandvalleydentistry.com or call Grand Valley Dentistry at (616) 259-6046 for an appointment in our Allendale Charter Twp office.
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