“Good things come to those who wait” is an expression that loses a bit more validity with each passing day. Let’s consider the selfie. If you were born centuries ago and wanted a self-portrait, you’d need an artist and a tidy sum of money. Then, you’d have to sit for hours while they painted you, all the while hoping the artist didn’t mess up and have to start over.
But by the late nineteenth century, a photographer could snap a picture and develop it in a few days. Fast forward to today, and all you need to do is pull out your phone and CLICK; you’ve recorded your likeness. And if you don’t like it, you can take another. Finally, if you compare your just-taken selfie to a version from a century ago, it’s no question which one will look better.
This trend line is similar to that of dental crowns in Brisbane. The traditional option required your dentist to send your crown design to an outside lab. Then, after a few weeks, your final crown would be ready. At Edward St Dental, our team is proud to offer a new technological breakthrough that can provide a complete dental crown during a single visit. This advance, known as CEREC technology, offers numerous advantages.
But the question that inevitably tops the list is, are single-visit crowns as good as conventional dental crowns? Here’s what you should know.
How Single-Visit Dental Crowns Work
A dental crown restores a damaged tooth by sealing, capping and covering it for lasting protection and preservation. In many cases, we turn to a crown as a last resort before extracting a tooth, so it’s a vital restoration for the future of your smile.
Dr Matthew Pulvienti has used single-visit dental crown technology for many years. The process is described by the acronym CEREC, which stands for Chair-side Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. That mouthful essentially means the production of attractive ceramic crowns (and other restorations) within the dental office.
This means your dental crown procedure in Brisbane can progress from start to finish in one appointment. So we prepare your tooth or treat an issue like a root infection the same as we always have, but it’s the crown portion that we feel is an improvement.
How Does a Same-Day Crown Compare?
Though the technology behind the CEREC process is relatively new, research exists to support its effectiveness. For example, a study published in the National Library of Medicine evaluated the quality of single-visit crowns and reported that this restoration was generally ranked high in terms of aesthetics, function and integration in your mouth.
However, the researchers noted that the best results were “always related to good clinical quality.” That’s why you should be careful about choosing a dental clinic for a CEREC restoration. A dentist in Brisbane like Dr Pulvirenti, who has significant clinical experience and training in the process, is an advisable option.
The Procedure for CEREC Dental Crowns in Brisbane
When Dr Pulvirenti has assessed your tooth health, and he recommends a dental crown, the process starts with a conversation. First, we will discuss your condition and explain how a crown fits into your treatment plan. Here are the next steps:
- We use a precision intraoral camera to make a digital impression of your tooth. This approach replaces the old physical impressions we had to make from an unpleasant substance called alginate. Optical impressions are superior in their accuracy, ease and convenience.
- We then feed this image into CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software specially designed for creating dental restorations. Dr Pulvirenti has a great deal of experience with this software and uses it to design your final restoration. This is also the stage where we match your single-visit crown’s colour to your smile.
- Through the miracle of network computing, we transmit your crown design instantaneously to a milling machine. This tool starts with a solid block of high-grade ceramic and carefully carves your crown like Michael Angelo sculpted David from solid marble.
- When complete, we check your CEREC crown to ensure it’s right; then, we polish it to a high sheen, so it sparkles like a natural tooth.
- Finally, one of our dentists will place the finished crown and bond your remaining tooth structure.
How Long Does a Single-Visit Dental Crown Take?
The first factor affecting your treatment time is the specific reason you receive a crown restoration. For example, if your dental crown finishes root canal therapy, your procedure may take a little longer.
The critical thing to remember is that you’re only in the treatment chair for a portion of your visit. On average, we can complete and place a single-visit dental crown, on the same day, in one to two hours.
Talk to Our Dentists About CEREC Dental Crowns in Brisbane
Missing and damaged teeth often harm your quality of life, though they don’t have to. If you’ve disliked the long wait for a conventional dental crown and the inconvenience of a temporary one, then our same-day CEREC restoration might prove an excellent solution.
To learn more about how a same-day dental crown can improve your life, we encourage you to contact Edward St Dental and schedule a restorative dental consultation.
Note: Single-visit crowns are a scheduled appointment for most cases. Once you have had a consultation with one of clinicians, our team will schedule you in for treatment at the soonest possible availability.
