Same Day Porcelain and Zirconia Dental Crowns & Veneers
Porcelain dental crowns and Zirconia dental crowns are used to restore severely broken teeth. Our dental crowns are all made of porcelain, like veneers, and look every bit as natural, leaving no black line at the gum level as seen with some traditional crowns. Crowns are extremely versatile and can be used to align crowding or protruding teeth, close gaps or lighten tooth color. The strength and appearance of our porcelain dental crowns rival that of natural teeth and are used to make long lasting changes to the smile.
Porcelain and Zirconia dental crowns can be used to mask a single dark tooth, but more often are used as part of smile makeover. At our Lake Forest dental clinic, our smile makeovers start at the consultation where we find out what patients don’t like about their teeth and what type of smile is required. Computer aided smile design is then used to design the smile and to fine tune the required tooth shapes and color to the patient’s wishes.
How Are Traditional Dental Crowns Made?
When the patient is ready to proceed with dental crown treatment, the first step is to create a 3d preview model. Our ceramist uses the computer aided smile design to create this 3d version of the smile so it can be checked from all angles for aesthetics and function.
Porcelain dental crowns are then provided as planned, over two main treatment appointments. At the first dental appointment, any broken down teeth are built up Lake Forest dental veneer specialist, then the teeth are prepared. This process involves trimming back a thin layer from around the tooth to make room for the crown. Impressions are taken and temporary crowns are made using a template made from the 3d preview model. Importantly, this gives our patients an opportunity to trial the planned smile design in their own mouths before the crowns are made. Any changes or fine adjustments can be made to the temporaries and reproduced in the final crowns. All crowns are made with this technique at our clinic.
These dental treatments are all carried out using our pain-free anesthetic techniques.
Porcelain dental crowns are then fitted at the second main treatment appointment. Our crowns are fitted with a multi-layer bonding system that bonds the crowns to the teeth with unparalleled strength. The veneer crowns are polished and bite checked and then revealed to our patients. We also see our patients a few days later to check that all is well when they’ve had some time to use them and eat with them. At that appointment, we also take portrait photos for our patients to take away with them.
Same Day Crowns with the CEREC Method
CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics), crowns are a cutting-edge development in dental technology that streamline the process of getting a dental crown. Instead of multiple visits to the dentist over a few weeks, a CEREC crown is designed and created in just a single appointment on the same day. This is made possible by using CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing) technology to create a 3D model of the patient’s tooth, which is then used to mill the final crown in the dental office itself.
The process begins with the dentist preparing the damaged tooth to accept the crown. A digital image of the tooth is taken using an intraoral scanner, creating an extremely accurate 3D model. This model is used by the CAD software to design the precise shape of the crown. Once the design is complete, it’s sent to the in-office milling machine which carves the crown from a ceramic block in as little as 5-20 minutes. The crown is then polished and fitted to the patient’s tooth, with adjustments made as necessary. As it’s all done in a single visit, CEREC crowns eliminate the need for a temporary crown and return visits, making it a more convenient and efficient same day crown solution for patients.
