At Hardin Cosmetic and Family Dentistry, we understand the importance of a healthy and beautiful smile. If you have damaged, worn, or misshapen teeth, we may recommend dental crowns. Tooth crowns are caps that fully cover and protect your tooth. Dr. Chris Hardin creates same-day dental crowns in his Indianapolis, IN, office.
Same-day crowns offer a convenient way to restore one or more teeth in one office visit. CEREC® crowns are part of Dr. Hardin’s restorative dental services.
What is a Dental Crown?
A dental crown is a custom-made cap that covers and protects a damaged tooth. It brings the tooth back to its normal shape, size, and strength. Crowns also improve how a cracked, worn down, or badly decayed tooth looks. We often recommend crowns when a tooth is too damaged for a regular filling but still strong enough to keep.
Reasons to Get a Dental Crown
Dental crowns serve many purposes. They can cover:
- Cracked teeth
- Chipped teeth
- Worn teeth
- Misshapen teeth
- Large fillings
- Single dental implants or bridges
Crowns strengthen teeth at risk of breaking, offering protection and durability. Dr. Hardin can restore a single dental implant with a crown for a natural look and feel. Crowns can also change the look of discolored or misshapen teeth for a more aesthetically pleasing smile.
Types of Crowns
Several types of dental crowns are available, each with its advantages:
- Porcelain crowns are popular for their natural appearance and are often used for front teeth.
- Ceramic crowns are known for their durability and aesthetic appeal, making them a great choice for visible teeth.
- Metal crowns, made from gold or other alloys, are incredibly strong and ideal for molars.
- Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns combine the strength of metal with the natural look of porcelain.
CEREC® Same-day Crowns
Chairside Economical Restorations of Esthetic Ceramic (CEREC®) has revolutionized dental procedures. In the past, getting crowns, onlays, inlays, or veneers to fix damaged teeth usually took multiple visits. There was also a long waiting time between each step of the process.
CEREC® creates ceramic restorations within minutes in the dental office. We can complete many treatments in just a single visit.
CEREC® uses several computer-assisted design (CAD) tools and a milling machine that creates custom ceramic restorative devices. CEREC® can benefit almost anyone needing a ceramic restoration. This is of great benefit to nervous patients, and it can also reduce the cost of treatment.
How can CEREC® benefit you?
CEREC® can benefit almost anyone needing a ceramic restoration. Exceptions include patients with a prior history of breaking ceramic devices and those with a deep bite. CEREC® devices are proven to last for over 5 years. Recent research indicates that most CEREC®-created restorations last for more than 10 years.
More benefits of CEREC® crowns in our Indianapolis, IN office include:
- No temporary restorations
- High-quality ceramic products
- Minimal invasiveness
- Fewer injections and discomfort
- Fewer dental visits
- Cost effectiveness
- More natural tooth is saved
- Long-lasting restorations
- Biocompatible solutions
What is the CEREC® system comprised of?
The CEREC® System is sometimes called a CAD-CAM system. CAD-CAM means Computer Assisted Design and Computer Assisted Milling. The CEREC® system has three major components:
- Acquisition device: This device is home to a high-quality camera and a medical-grade computer. Its function is to photograph the prepared tooth, creating three-dimensional images of the tooth on the screen. Dr. Hardin uses this image to design the perfect ceramic restoration.
- Three-dimensional CAD software: This software helps our dentist examine the tooth from every angle. It’s the closest possible thing to holding the tooth in the hands and rotating it.
- Milling device: This unit manufactures the custom restoration from the specifications entered into the computer. Our dentist chooses a ceramic block that matches your desired tooth color and places it in the unit. Within minutes, the milling device produces the restoration.
What does a CEREC® restoration procedure involve?
The first step in the procedure is preparing the tooth for the restoration. Depending on your needs, Dr. Hardin may take pictures of your tooth using one of CEREC’s® special imaging tools.
If using CEREC® Omnicam, Dr. Hardin will take several images of the tooth. This sends a 3D, colored model to the CEREC® machine. If using CEREC® Bluecam, he’ll coat the teeth with a contrasting agent before he takes images of your teeth.
Dr. Hardin will view the image of the tooth on the screen from every angle and design the final restoration. Then he sends the complete design to the milling unit.
Dr. Hardin will insert a block of ceramic that matches your tooth color into the milling machine. It’ll create the full crown, onlay, or inlay. Before he places the restoration on the tooth, Dr. Hardin will perform a dry fit to ensure comfort. Once it’s a perfect fit, he’ll polish and place the restoration with dental cement.
Porcelain Inlays and Onlays
Porcelain inlays and onlays are strong, natural-looking dental restorations. We can use these restorations to repair teeth damaged by decay, old fillings, or injury.
They’re custom-made in our office with CEREC®. Both inlays and onlays can be made of gold, composite resin, or porcelain. Porcelain is a popular choice because it blends in well with your natural teeth.
Inlays and onlays are very similar. An inlay fits inside the grooves of your tooth and doesn’t cover any of the cusps (the pointed parts). An onlay covers one or more cusps and is sometimes called a partial crown. We only use onlays when you have more extensive damage to the tooth but don’t need a full crown.
Why Choose Inlays or Onlays?
Inlays and onlays are a great option for repairing large cavities or broken teeth. They’re more durable than regular fillings and more conservative than crowns because they preserve more of your natural tooth. They can also improve the look of your smile by replacing old metal fillings with a tooth-colored restoration.
Common reasons you may need an inlay or onlay:
- Broken or fractured teeth
- Large or fractured fillings
- Tooth decay
- Cosmetic improvements
- Teeth damaged from trauma
What to Expect During Treatment
Getting an inlay or onlay usually takes two appointments. During your first visit, Dr. Hardin will numb your tooth and remove any decay or old filling material. Then he’ll clean and shape your tooth. He’ll take an impression of your tooth and use CEREC® to create your same-day inlay or onlay.
Dr. Hardin will place the inlay or onlay and make sure it fits just right. He may also make small adjustments to ensure your bite feels comfortable.
Inlays and onlays are very strong and can last for many years with proper care. You can brush and floss daily, eat a healthy diet, and visit our dentist regularly to keep your smile healthy and bright.
Why Choose Hardin Cosmetic and Family Dentistry?
We want you to feel relaxed and confident every time you visit us. Our friendly team is here to answer your questions and listen to your concerns. We want to ensure you’re comfortable during every step of your treatment.
Dr. Hardin uses the latest dental technology, including CEREC, to make your care faster and easier. With CEREC, we can create custom dental crowns in just one visit to our office. This means no messy impressions, no temporary crowns, and no waiting weeks for a lab to make your crown.
Dr. Hardin works hard to make sure your crown fits perfectly and looks just like a natural tooth. He takes the time to understand your needs and create a treatment plan that’s right for you.
Schedule Your Appointment Today!
Are you ready to restore your smile with a dental crown in Indianapolis, IN? Call us at 317-830-0073 or request an appointment online. Our team is here to help you achieve a healthy, beautiful smile.