How Long Do CEREC Crowns Last?

If you need a dental crown, there are many reasons to choose CEREC over traditional crowns made in dental laboratories. For most patients, the primary benefit is that they only need to come to our office once—their tooth is prepared and the crown is placed all in the same appointment. Still, many people wonder if there’s a catch. Are CEREC crowns really as good as traditional crowns if they can be placed in a single day? How long do they last? Below, we answer some of the most common questions our patients have about CEREC restorations.

CEREC crowns typically last anywhere from five to 15 years, which is a similar lifespan to that of traditional dental crowns. That said, with proper care and maintenance, CEREC crowns have been known to last up to 30 years before needing to be replaced. Some factors that affect the lifespan of your crown include your oral habits (including nighttime teeth grinding and jaw clenching), your oral hygiene practices, the frequency of your dental visits, and the location of the crown in your mouth.

CEREC is shorthand for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics—it’s a system for creating affordable crowns right in our office using CAD/CAM technology, rather than designing restorations here and having them fabricated by a separate dental laboratory. CEREC crowns use digital impressions to create a precise model of your tooth; once your crown is designed based on this model, it’s sent to our in-office milling machine so it can be fabricated and then bonded to your tooth.

CEREC crowns aren’t as good as traditional crowns—they’re better! A CEREC crown is stronger, more accurate, more predictable, and more natural in appearance than traditional dental crowns. The digital technology used to create them allows us to design a crown that fits and functions better, and the fact that CEREC crowns can be placed in a single visit is better for your oral health because no temporary crown is needed.

Yes, CEREC crowns are strong and durable, which means they can even be used to restore molars. For patients who have a history of teeth grinding and jaw clenching, we may opt to use a metal or gold alloy crown instead or provide you with a mouthguard to use at night to protect your crown from becoming chipped or cracked.

The best thing about CEREC crowns is that they cost no more than a traditional dental crown. This is why so many of our patients choose CEREC for their restorations—they have all of the benefits of traditional porcelain crowns, with none of the downsides, and their price is the same.aw

If you need a crown and you’d like to learn more about the CEREC process, contact us today at 772.286.1606 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Tyler.