About CEREC Same-Day Crowns
A traditional crown takes two visits and two or three weeks: your tooth is prepared, a gooey impression is taken, you wear a plastic temporary while a lab makes the crown, and then you come back to have it cemented. CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics) collapses that into a single appointment. We scan your prepared tooth with a small digital camera, design the crown on screen while you watch, and mill it from a solid block of dental ceramic in our office. About an hour later it is bonded in place, and you leave with a finished tooth.
Beyond convenience, there are real clinical advantages. Digital scanning is more comfortable and more precise than impression material. There is no temporary crown to break or come loose, and no second round of numbing. The ceramic we use is strong, color-matched to your surrounding teeth, and contains no metal, so there is no dark line at the gum. Because the crown is designed from a scan of your actual bite, adjustments at delivery are usually minimal.
CEREC handles more than full crowns. The same technology produces inlays and onlays, conservative ceramic restorations that repair a badly damaged tooth while preserving more healthy structure than a full crown would. For a tooth that is cracked, has a large failing filling, is worn down, or has had a root canal, a CEREC restoration is often the ideal fix.
Not every case is right for same-day ceramics. Some front teeth with demanding esthetics, some bridges, and some very long-span restorations are better made by a dental laboratory, and Dr. Carter will tell you when that is the case. But for most single crowns, CEREC is faster, more comfortable and equally durable, and it has become the way we restore the majority of broken teeth in this office.
Benefits
- Finished permanent crown in one visit of about two hours
- No impression material and no temporary crown
- Metal-free ceramic matched to your natural tooth color
- Also used for conservative inlays and onlays
- Ideal for busy schedules and patients traveling from Fairfield, Dixon or Travis AFB
Is it right for you?
Anyone who needs a single crown, inlay or onlay on a back tooth, and many who need one on a front tooth. Teeth with large old fillings, cracks, significant wear, or a completed root canal are typical candidates. CEREC is especially valuable if you have a demanding schedule, travel for work, or simply dislike temporaries. If a tooth needs a bridge, has very little structure left, or requires laboratory-level esthetic layering, a lab-made crown or another restoration may be better, and we will explain the reasoning.
What happens, step by step
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Numbing and removal of decay or the old restoration
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Shaping the tooth to receive the crown
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Digital 3D scan of the tooth and your bite
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On-screen design of the crown by Dr. Carter
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Milling from a ceramic block in the office, about 15 to 20 minutes
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Try-in, polishing or glazing, and permanent bonding
What to expect at your visit
Plan on about two hours. After numbing, Dr. Carter removes decay and shapes the tooth, then takes a digital scan, which feels like a small camera moving around the tooth for a minute or two. You can watch the crown being designed on screen. While the milling unit carves the ceramic, you can relax, read or step out for a short break. The finished crown is tried in, adjusted for bite, polished and bonded. Numbness wears off in a few hours, and you can eat normally that evening, though we suggest avoiding very hard foods on the crown for the first day.
Why choose Regency Dental Group
Regency Dental Group has offered CEREC crowns for years, long before most Solano County offices adopted digital dentistry, and Dr. Carter designs and mills each crown personally rather than sending the file to a lab. That experience shows up in the fit and in how few adjustments are needed at delivery. Our team keeps you comfortable throughout the longer single visit, and oral sedation is available for patients who are anxious about a longer appointment. We are in network with Delta Dental of California, Cigna, MetLife and Dental Benefit Providers, and a same-day crown is billed as a standard crown, not a premium service.
Aftercare
Brush and floss the crown like a natural tooth, paying attention to the gumline. Mild sensitivity to cold for a week or two is normal. If your bite feels high or uneven once the numbness wears off, call us; a two-minute adjustment fixes it. A night guard is recommended if you grind.
Cost, insurance and timing
A CEREC crown is billed at the same rate as a traditional crown and is covered similarly by insurance, typically as a major service at 50 percent after the deductible. We provide a written estimate before treatment and offer CareCredit for the balance. Occasionally a tooth is found to need a root canal or a buildup once decay is removed; we tell you immediately if that changes the plan.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a CEREC crown last?
With good home care and regular checkups, ceramic crowns typically last many years, comparable to lab-made crowns. A night guard helps if you grind.
Is a same-day crown as strong as a lab crown?
The ceramic materials used with CEREC are the same class of materials many labs use. For most single crowns, strength and longevity are comparable.
Does insurance cover CEREC crowns?
Yes, the same way it covers any crown. Most plans pay a percentage as a major service after your deductible.
Can a front tooth be done with CEREC?
Often, yes. For cases that need highly customized shading, Dr. Carter may recommend a lab-fabricated crown and will explain why.
The information on this page is general education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. Outcomes vary by patient. Please schedule an exam to discuss your specific situation.