I had a front tooth that needed a dental crown. My dentist suggested that I get a CEREC crown because I could get it in just one appointment. I liked that idea but things have not worked out as well as I’d hoped. The crown is a little bigger than the tooth next to it and the color is a bit off. However, a bigger problem is that it fell off. I was out of town when this happened. I got an emergency appointment with another dentist. He told me the cement wasn’t done properly. He re-cemented it back on. I let my dentist at home know what happened. He’s offered to completely re-do the crown for me free of charge. Here’s my question. Because it is permanently bonded on, will it damage the tooth underneath it if my dentist re-does this crown? If it is safe to redo the crown, would I be better off with a traditional crown instead of the same day crown?
Martha
Dear Martha,
I’m glad you wrote. It should not damage your tooth to redo the dental crown. However, doing a CEREC crown on a front tooth is a bit tricky. This is because your front tooth is very exposed to light. While a traditional crown is built up from a variety of porcelains, which help to mimic the differences in opacity that the natural tooth has, CEREC crowns are milled from a single block of porcelain. This has a tendency to make them look a bit fake.
While they’re fine with teeth that are further back, which are not exposed to as much light, you would need someone who truly understands cosmetic dentistry to make them look natural with your smile. They have to know color theory and how to use stains and other materials to mimic those differences. I would only do this with an expert cosmetic dentist, like someone who is Accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). Dentists who are AACD accredited dentists are the best cosmetic dentists in the country and can make a CEREC crown look both beautiful and natural on your front teeth.
I’m a bit concerned that your dentist is in over his head. He missed not only the color, but the size. He also struggled with the bonding. That is much more basic. However, the fact that he is willing to replace your dental crown tells me that he is a dentist with integrity. I would be inclined to give him another shot, but with a traditional porcelain crown. Just make sure that he is willing to use a temporary try-in paste so you can double check that it matches in every way you want before it is bonded on again.
This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.