I’ve had a CEREC crown before, but only on a bottom tooth which wasn’t very visible. I didn’t really care what it looked like. Now I’ve got a front tooth which needs a crown. I like the convenience of a CEREC crown, but want something that looks natural and will match the adjacent tooth very well. Can a CEREC crown do that?

Anthony

Dear Antony,

So, this is a mixed bag. CEREC crowns are great and Dr. Malone does them as well. They’re made of all-porcelain. While porcelain looks very natural and does a great job mimicking natural tooth structure. However, a CEREC crown is milled out of a single block of porcelain. That won’t have the same subtleties as a traditional crown which can be milled from various blocks which, with the right dentist can make it look exactly like the tooth it’s replacing.

If you’re talking about one of your two center front teeth, then I’d go with a traditional crown. A front tooth further back you could get away with using a CEREC crown. It’s still porcelain and the convenience of one appointment is generally worth it.

Teeth Whitening and CEREC Crowns

If you’re planning on getting any kind of dental crown on your front tooth you may want to consider whitening your teeth first. Once the crowns are made, the color can’t be changed. If you’re perfectly happy with the color of your teeth, there’s no need to do anything. But, if you’ve considered getting them whitened doing it before the crown is made saves you money.

It’s also okay if you want to do it, but just not now. In the future, you can get them whitened. You’ll just want to change the crown after you do. It’s completely up to you when and even if you do it. I just wanted to let you know in case this could save you money in the long run.

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