When you’re starving and short on time, fast food is a huge temptation. Within a few minutes, you can pull up, order, pay, and have food-in-hand without even getting out of your car. And the food is relatively inexpensive. What’s a better overall deal than that? Yet, we instinctively know (and if not, we’re told time and again by the media, medical talk shows, literature, family and friends) that regular fast food is simply not the best laid plan for our long term health. Fast? Yes. A recipe for longevity, health, and satisfaction? Probably not.
This is a fitting parallel to one-visit crowns. Why take a minimum of two visits for a custom-fitted porcelain dental crown when you can have one in a single appointment? Unfortunately, just as with fast food, the advantages come along with disadvantages. Dr. Brent Engelberg, your Elk Grove cosmetic dentist will answer some of his patient’s most frequently asked questions about CEREC and E4D.
FAQs About One-Visit Crowns
Q1. What does CEREC stand for?
A1. CEREC is an acronym for Chairside Economical Restorations of Esthetic Ceramic. E4D is another similar CAD/CAM system for providing patients crowns in a single visit.
Q2. What does a one-visit crown entail?
A2. CEREC and E4D are computer design tools and milling machines for dental crowns, all rolled into one. By eliminating the need to send your specifications to a ceramist, the dentist can measure, prepare, and fabricate your dental crown without you ever having to leave the office.
Q3. Does this mean it costs more or hurts more?
A3. No. CEREC and E4D are cost effective and relatively comfortable.
Q4. Sounds great. So what are the disadvantages?
A4. Would you expect the chef at your favorite restaurant to also butcher the cow before preparing your perfectly seasoned and cooked steak? The chef’s skill may be in choosing the best butcher to supply them the optimal quality and cut of meat, but in general, they don’t keep the actual cow in the kitchen. Ceramists are highly skilled professionals. Dentists, while extremely educated and constantly updating their training, aren’t generally ceramists. CEREC restorations may look and feel pretty good, but without the skill-set of someone trained to manufacture and contour a gorgeous tooth-like crown, your results will simply not be of the highest possible quality.
Q5. Can CEREC and E4D crowns be color-matched to surrounding teeth?
A5. Yes, but herein lies another disadvantage. While CEREC and E4D crowns are lightly stained, the machine simply doesn’t offer the kind of tooth-color matching and layering possibilities you get from a crown made by an expert in a well-equipped lab.
Dental Crowns from Elk Grove Cosmetic Dentist
If you would like to arrange a consultation to discuss dental crown options with your cosmetic dentist in Elk Grove, schedule an appointment with our 60009 dentist office by calling 847-259-8030. We are happy to serve patients in Northbrook, Deerfield, Highland Park, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Vernon Hills, Lincolnshire, Libertyville, Skokie, Evanston, Palatine, Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village, Rolling Meadows, Northwest Chicago Suburbs, and Northern Chicago Suburbs.
