What to Do After Your CEREC® Crown Appointment

CEREC® reduces wait time for dental restorations from a few days to a few hours. The CEREC fabrication process happens with the aid of design software and a computer-aided milling machine. This CAD/CAM system provides the speed and accuracy that allows a dentist to mill same-day dental restorations.

The convenience of a same-day crown beats two dental appointments and a days-long wait time. As such, patients will seek out dentists who offer this option. This change in patient preferences is moving more dental practices to invest in CEREC systems.

Any patient who gets a CEREC restoration should know what to expect from the treatment. They should also learn about after-care and recovery.

How CEREC works

CEREC is an abbreviation for Chairside Economical Restoration for Esthetic Ceramic. It is a system that uses computer-aided design and manufacture to create dental restorations as the patient waits. Here is what to expect from treatment:

• An exam that lets the dentist know if a CEREC crown is the right course of treatment for an individual
• The dentist removes dead and weak dental tissue from the patient’s problem tooth 
• If the patient gets the all-clear for a crown, the dentist does an intra-oral scan, which takes a 3D image of the patient’s prepared tooth
• The resulting 3D image of the goes into the CEREC design module, which renders a digital model of the tooth
• Using the same design software, the dentist crafts a digital crown that fits perfectly onto the digital model of the tooth
• The dentist shows the crown design to the patient and asks for their input
• Once the dentist and patient settle on the shape and color of the restoration, the dentist proceeds with milling
• They send the final design to the milling unit, via the fabrication module of the CEREC system
• The milling machine carves the restoration from a ceramic block that is a close match to the patient’s teeth color
• Lastly, the dentist will install the complete restoration onto the patient’s tooth

The patient walks into the dentist’s office with a dental problem and walks out with a functional, nice-looking tooth. This is what happens next:

What to expect immediately after the fitting of a CEREC crown

The installation of a dental crown comes with a short recovery period. Numbness punctuates the hours after the procedure. The patient may feel some discomfort after the anesthetic wears off so the dentist will recommend and prescribe pain medication. This goes a long way in easing any swelling and discomfort from the procedure.

Aftercare: Oral hygiene

It takes a few days for the crown to set and for complete healing of the restored tooth. During this time, the patient should brush twice a day and floss once. They should avoid flossing around the restored tooth for a day or two. 

People who experience tooth sensitivity before and after the procedure should use toothpaste that specifically caters to sensitive teeth.

Aftercare: Diet

Avoid sticky foods that could dislodge the crown. For that matter, avoid biting down on the newly repaired tooth. Once the adhesive that secures the crown sets, the patient can make full use of all their teeth.

Still, they should avoid habits that could cause damage to the teeth, including the tooth with a crown. They should resist chomping on ice chips, bottle caps, and other hard objects or foods. 

The person should also stay away from foods that cause staining from cigarettes to excessive coffee to excessive wine. Again, extremely sticky foods could dislodge the restoration.

Get top-notch care if you want a dental restoration that lasts

Our practice offers CEREC restorations like dental crowns, overlays, and onlays. Reach us to find out how our dentist can restore full function to your teeth.

Request an appointment here: https://www.ultimatesmiles.com or call North County Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry at (760) 940-2273 for an appointment in our Vista office.

Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: CEREC Dentist in Vista, CA.