Crowns and bridges have some similarities – both are fixed prosthetics that are permanently attached to existing teeth or implants. They both can be color-matched to the remaining natural teeth and provide an improved and healthier smile. They both are used to restore functionality when it has been impaired. Both are used as their name implies — and both benefit from Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics (CEREC®) technology.
Crowning Achievement
A dental crown is just that — a cap that covers the visible portion of your tooth. Crowns can repair a tooth that might otherwise need to be extracted. When a tooth has been chipped, cracked, or damaged by cavities, a crown can stabilize and strengthen the tooth. The tooth is modified for the crown to properly fit and the color-matched porcelain is cemented to the tooth for a permanent repair. A crown can also be used to reshape or resize a tooth if its size or shape doesn’t match the rest of the mouth, and it can be used to close minor gaps between teeth.
Typically, a crown takes two or three office visits and two to three weeks to complete. CEREC® has changed that. Using a combination of software and hardware, a precise digital impression is made and a porcelain crown is fabricated while you relax in your chair. There are no messy molds, temporary crowns, or long delays. CEREC® crowns look and feel like a natural tooth and are applied in just one visit of a few hours.
Build a Bridge to Cross the Gap
A bridge also does what the name implies. When you have a missing tooth or teeth or have a tooth so damaged it must be extracted, the gap created can be closed by a bridge. Typically, a bridge consists of a pontic, or artificial tooth, connected to a crown on either side. The crowns are cemented to the teeth adjoining the missing tooth to create a fixed, permanent solution for a missing tooth. Using CEREC® technology to mill the crowns and pontic means the same benefits for a bridge that a CEREC® crown provides — no temporaries, no molds, and little wait. Again, you are in and out in the same day with CEREC.
CEREC® Same-Day Crowns and Bridges
CEREC® makes it possible to receive a beautiful porcelain crown or a gap-sealing bridge in one office visit, saving you time and money. If you or a family member are ready for a crown or bridge, and you live in Canton, Mississippi or the surrounding area, please contact our office to schedule a consultation to see if CEREC® is right for you. We look forward to seeing you!