Are Same Day Dental Crowns Right for You?

June 18, 2019

A dental crown is a restoration that’s used to protect teeth that have experienced fractures, root canal therapy, or extensive decay.

Dental crowns can be made from different materials with the most common being porcelain, a type of ceramic. In the past, these crowns required multiple visits as your impressions had to be sent out to a lab to custom-make your restoration.

Today, 3D digital images allow a machine to make your crown in-office in just minutes. This technology, called CEREC, has been in the making for more than three decades and offers patients the chance to restore their smile in less time than ever before [1].

But are same day dental crowns the right choice for you? Here’s how you can know.

Get Your Smile Back to Normal in Just One Appointment

If you want to get your permanent dental crown as soon as possible, same day dental crowns could be for you. With CEREC technology, you won’t need to make several appointments just to get one crown. Instead of a multi-step process that can be time-consuming, same day crowns offer the advantage of a streamlined process in just one appointment.

Same day crowns are ideal for people who want to get their smile restored as soon as possible, whether they simply don’t have the time to commit to several appointments for one restoration or they have an event coming up such as a graduation or a wedding.

Prevent Injury or Discomfort with Temporary Restorations

With traditional dental crowns, while you’re waiting for your permanent restoration to come in, a temporary one will be made and fitted to your smile [2]. Although temporary crowns are designed to protect teeth while the permanent crown is being made, they have a higher potential to not fit as well and may even fall out.

If you lose your temporary crown, your tooth is more at risk to experience damage without this protection. When you take advantage of CEREC technology, you get your permanent restoration that same day, therefore preventing the potential for injury or discomfort that can come with temporary restorations.

When Same Day Dental Crowns May Not Be Right for You

Same day dental crowns may not be for people who need a dental crown placed on a visible front tooth. This is because these restorations don’t allow for the same level of color specification as a lab-created traditional crown, so the tooth may not perfectly match the other teeth.

In addition, a CEREC restoration may not be possible if your tooth is fractured beneath the gumline, as the technology can’t quite capture images beneath your gum tissue, so you’d likely need to wait for a traditional dental crown.

During your consultation for dental crowns, your dentist can let you know if you’re a candidate for same day dental crowns and if they’re the right choice for your restoration. Ask your dentist if they use CEREC technology at their practice to get a permanent dental crown in just one appointment!