I travel a lot, and time to get any kind of appointment taken care of is in short supply. I recently had an emergency root canal done on an infected tooth (one of my first premolars) while I was on the road, and the dentist said I would probably need a porcelain crown. I am home at most for a day during the business week, and my dentist does not work weekends at all.

I called their office to see what we could work out, and they said that they have new equipment that lets them place crowns in just a single visit, called CEREC crowns. They said this would probably work for me, but they want to examine me before making the appointment to place the crown. That is OK, as I don’t want them to race into anything and try to place something they shouldn’t just to get it done.

My concern is that I have been reading about CEREC crowns on the Internet, and some of the sites are talking about them not looking as realistic as the other kinds of porcelain crowns. I am in sales, and my appearance is critical. I can’t have an obviously sub-standard repair on a tooth making me look cut-rate. My customers are upscale professionals in an appearance oriented industry. All I really want to know is if CEREC crowns can be made to look as realistic as any other kind of porcelain crowns.

William in Charlotte, NC

Dear William,

It is reassuring to hear that your dentist will not race ahead with the crown appointment before taking a good look at your situation. CEREC crown placement does not work for everyone.

The first premolar is visible when you smile, so you are correct in stating that a sub-standard job at matching your other teeth would be noticeable. Your question as to whether or not a CEREC crown could be made to look realistic earns a qualified answer: it depends on the skill level of the dentist using the equipment.

You state that the dentist’s office “just” got the equipment, which may indicate that your dentist is not yet very experienced with obtaining optimal results. Ask about your dentist’s training and credentials, and pay particular attention to his or her professional affiliations. Membership or better yet accreditation with the American Association of Cosmetic Dentists  (AACD) is a very promising sign that your dentist places a high value on aesthetics. It is also a good idea to ask to see some before and after pictures of actual crowns that your dentist has placed. If he cannot produce any, this could mean that he simply lacks experience with the equipment, and you might be better off with a traditional porcelain crown.

You don’t say that the affected tooth has started to darken, so you have time to make decisions. Best of luck.

This blog post provided as a courtesy of the office of Lafayette Lousiana cosmetic dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

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