CEREC®

Porcelain Crowns in One Visit with CEREC® Technology

Getting a dental crown used to be a long, painful, and costly process. Over the years, dental technology has improved to the point where getting a crown can be done in relative comfort (and style!) in a matter of a few hours.

You want the look, feel, and stability of porcelain crowns with as little time spent in the dentist’s chair as possible, and this is where CEREC one-hour crowns come in. CEREC technology allows our office to assess the shape of your teeth and create custom porcelain crowns while you wait.

The CEREC system first creates images of your oral structures using a special camera — no messy impressions required. Once the computerized system has determined the size and shape needed for your porcelain crown, inlay, or onlay, the image is sent to the in-house milling unit, which carves the piece out of a porcelain block. We place your new porcelain restoration and have you out of the office in no time. No further visits needed.

What is CEREC?

CEREC is an acronym that stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. What makes CEREC unique is that it uses sophisticated computers, software, and 3D printing technology to create superior crowns that not only look completely natural but feel just like real teeth.

Before CEREC, getting a crown was a royal pain. It involved multiple visits to the dentist, and this factored into the high cost. With CEREC crowns, you see us once for a few hours, and you walk out of the office with brand new, all-natural looking crowns.

The material that CEREC uses for crowns is also far superior to traditional crown tooth material. It not only looks more natural (with 17 shades of tooth color for the dentist to choose from), but it feels more natural as well. The crowns are also permanently bonded to your teeth, so unlike dentures, they will stay in place and don’t have to be removed when you eat certain foods or go to sleep at night.

Best of all, CEREC crowns are metal-free. In the past, most crowns were made out of metal, which limits the transparency of the crown. In certain lights, it will show up as a dark band, and anyone can tell the tooth is a crown. CEREC is made out of 100% medical-grade porcelain material, which is far superior to the older crowns.

Benefits of CEREC Crowns

The multiple benefits of CEREC crowns extend beyond the ease and convenience of getting them installed in one day. Long gone are the days of messy dental impressions and having to wear an uncomfortable and awkward temporary crown for two to three weeks.

The overall process to have a CEREC crown fitted, created, and installed in your mouth is also much easier than traditional old-school crowns. Unlike the old methods, taking images for the CAM/CAD machine is entirely painless and takes but a few minutes.

Our office also has 17 teeth shades to choose from. This means the color of your new crown will closely match that of your teeth. It assures a more natural look and feel. CEREC crowns also don’t require the use of uncomfortable and unsightly, bulky porcelain, black lines, or metal.

What Does CEREC Cost?

The cost of CEREC will vary from patient to patient. It’s contingent upon how many crowns you will get, as well as any pre or post-crown work that will have to be performed (e.g., root canals).

The best way to get an accurate and firm estimate of what it’s going to cost is to schedule an appointment with Water Tower Dental Care. Dr. Aneszko or Dr. Stino will sit down with you and listen to your concerns, and then come up with a treatment plan that will list the exact cost.

How is the Procedure Performed?

The old ways of getting a crown created required the natural teeth to have impressions taken. This was time-consuming and sometimes messy, depending on the method used. With CEREC crowns, you’ll have digital impressions taken, which are much quicker, faster, and less messy than the traditional way of making impressions.

Once the machine has taken a digital image of your mouth, specialized computer software will then get to work creating a model. The result is designed for the dentist to make minor adjustments so it will fit your mouth perfectly.

Once we are satisfied with the way everything looks and feels, we will instruct the CEREC computer to send the customized crown plans to the milling machine. Over the course of a few minutes, the machine will create your new crown. The dentist may perform slight adjustments to the crown as he or she sees fit.

When we are pleased with the outcome, it will be bonded to the tooth in the same way traditional crowns are bonded to teeth. The result is a much stronger and more natural-looking crown than traditional ones.

Does Insurance Cover Cerec?

Some dental insurance companies may cover 100% of the cost, but the vast majority will not. Most cosmetic dental procedures are not covered by insurance — although some plans might cover a portion.

The best way to find out if your dental insurance plan will cover CEREC crowns is to schedule an appointment and have our office provide you with a treatment plan. You can check the medical codes on the treatment plan with your dental insurance company and learn exactly what they will and won’t cover.

Are CEREC Crowns Permanent?

Yes, they are. We will use a special medical-grade adhesive to bond the crown to your teeth. You can then eat or drink anything you like without having to worry about taking the crown out like removable dentures.

Best of all, they look and function just like a normal tooth, so you don’t have to worry about eating certain foods. You can also brush and floss around your new CEREC crown the way you would one of your natural teeth.

CEREC Crowns in Downtown Chicago

Water Tower Dental Care wants you to have the smile of your dreams on your schedule. Contact us today to discover the magic of CEREC one-hour crowns, inlays, and onlays, and make an appointment for us to refresh your smile … in just one visit.

Treat your smile to a little bit of luxury in the heart of Chicago! Call Water Tower Dental Care today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Aneszko or Dr. Stino. From our offices in Water Tower Place building on The Magnificent Mile, we offer a level of service that’s anything but ordinary!