I’ve got a CEREC crown. It stains constantly. I brush it. My normal teeth are fine. Whenever I get my teeth cleaned, even the crown looks fine for just a few days then the stains start to pick up again. In a few weeks, it looks embarrassingly horrible. I asked my hygienist about it. She said I wasn’t using good oral hygiene. That’s just not true. Is it because it’s a CEREC crown instead of a regular one?
Misty L.
Dear Misty,
Remember I haven’t examined your case, but the staining is definitely NOT because it is a CEREC crown. I’m going on the assumption that your dentist gave you an all porcelain crown using the CEREC machine. If so, it would have a glaze on it that makes it stain resistant. In fact, it should be more stain resistant than your natural teeth.
My suspicion is your hygienist used some kind of power cleaner, like a prophy jet. This can knock the glaze off your crowns. Without that protective glaze, the crowns will look clean and polished when you first get through your cleaning. But, as you go through your days, without the glaze, it will quickly pick up stains.
In your place, I would see a cosmetic dentist and have them look at the crown. If the glaze has been removed, you have two options. If you find a highly skilled cosmetic dentist who knows how to repair the crown, you could go that route. Very few dentists know how to do it. You’ll likely have better success replacing the crown. If the glaze has been removed, your dentist may be amenable in giving you at least a partial refund or paying for your new crown.
Additionally, your dentist will need to instruct his staff on how to clean things such as crowns or porcelain veneers in a way which preserves their glaze.
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