Boulder Denver CEREC One-Visit Crown Case Study

CEREC one-visit crowns allow patients at Adler Cosmetic and Family Dentistry in Boulder to receive a new dental crown restoration in just a single visit. The CEREC system utilizes a precision computer-aided design and milling process to create custom fit crowns in-office, all in the same visit. As a result the need for temporary crowns and scheduling multiple office visits are a thing of the past for our patients needing of this type of dental restoration.

Donna is a long time patient of ours. Donna had a white composite filling in one of her upper back molars which had begun to fracture the tooth. See the two images that follow which clearly show fractures within the tooth.

If left untreated the fracture could continue to spread down the tooth into the pulp chamber and cause infection. Symptoms for fractured teeth vary. Some are intermittently painful and some have no pain at all. Often patients will notice they’re having pressure sensitivity and sometimes sensitivity to hot and cold. In Donna’s case a CEREC one-visit crown was determined to be the best form of treatment.

Using the CEREC system, Dr. Adler was able to design restorations to remove as little of the natural tooth as needed. In Donna’s case Dr. Adler removed some tooth decay and then prepped the tooth for the crown. The prepped tooth was coated with a reflective powder and then optical images of the tooth were transmitted to the CEREC system. The system turned the images into a digital 3-D model. Dr. Adler then designed the crown on the CEREC system and transmitted the image of the crown to the in-office milling unit. The crown was fabricated during the appointment from a solid block of porcelain. Patients can even watch as their crown is made.

The crown was chemically bonded to the tooth using the highest quality bonding agent and cement. The chemical bonding works with the crown to ensure that the fracture is contained and will not continue to fracture. The porcelain restoration is very strong and durable in addition to looking great. Now Donna has a great looking tooth that looks natural and she doesn’t have to worry about losing her tooth to an out of control fracture.