Hi there,
I needed a crown to fix a broken front tooth. I opted for a CEREC same-day crown, as I was leaving town soon and wanted to replace it as soon as possible. My appointment went smoothly, but by the time I traveled to my destination, my crown had fallen out! I had to spend time during my trip to find a CEREC dentist to help me. I was able to get it re-bonded, so it held for the rest of my trip. When I got home, I went back to my dentist to tell him about what happened. He offered to re-do it for free, but I am having second thoughts. After some online research, I realized the dentist who did the CEREC crown seemed really inexperienced with making them, and the tooth he made is slightly longer than the rest, so I am not sure if he is the best person to re-do it. Should I seek a second opinion? I am not sure how to proceed.
Thank you.
Agnes, from Wichita, Kansas
Dear Agnes,
Making a CEREC crown for a front tooth is very difficult, especially in terms of color-matching. To properly match a front tooth, your dentist will have to send the tooth to lab for shade matching, and then have it sent back to try it in. The CEREC machine mills the tooth from a unicolor block of ceramic, so it will be much brighter and whiter than your natural tooth color. Most dental offices that offer CEREC do not use the machine for repairing front teeth, not even those with with an in-house lab. Since the porcelain was not bonded correctly in the first place, your dentist may not be the best option for your necessary repair. Seeking a second opinion may be the best option.
This blog post is brought to you by Enfield CEREC crown provider, Dr. William Cummiskey, of Generations Dental Care.