Cerec cad cam crown
A CEREC CAD-CAM crown is a digitally designed ceramic restoration milled from a solid block and bonded to a prepared tooth.
The short answer
A CEREC CAD-CAM crown is a tooth-shaped ceramic restoration designed with software, milled from a ceramic block, and bonded to a prepared tooth. It can restore a heavily weakened tooth when enough sound enamel and dentine remain for a stable preparation.
What do CAD and CAM mean for a dental crown?
CAD-CAM means computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing. The dentist scans the prepared tooth, designs the crown digitally, selects a suitable ceramic block, and uses a milling unit to shape the restoration before fitting and bonding it.
How is a tooth assessed before a CEREC crown?
The clinical assessment includes checking the tooth, its bite, the gums, and any crack or decay, followed when needed by radiographs. Treatment involves removing damaged tissue, preparing the tooth with a controlled finish line, checking the digital design and contacts, trying in the crown, then adjusting and cementing it.
When does a damaged tooth need examination?
Arrange an examination if a tooth is broken, painful on chewing, sensitive after a filling, or too damaged to clean. Seek prompt care for facial swelling, fever, a loose crown, or pain that is worsening, because the tooth may need treatment beneath the restoration.
What alternatives should you discuss before choosing a crown?
Ask whether the tooth needs a crown, an onlay, a filling, or root canal treatment, and which ceramic is appropriate for its position and bite. Ask how much tooth will be removed, how the bite will be checked, and what care is needed around the crown margin.
Frequently asked questions
Is a CEREC crown always made in one visit?
Some practices design and mill it during one visit, while others send the digital design to a laboratory or stage the treatment over more visits.
Can a CEREC crown be used on a molar?
It can be considered for a molar when the tooth, ceramic choice, preparation, and bite provide suitable support.
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Who wrote this page
This library is published by Dental Nation, a licensed dental group practising in the United Arab Emirates. Pages are written and overseen by the same clinical team that treats patients in our clinics, and are held to a fixed editorial standard for safety and accuracy.
This page is patient education, not medical advice, and cannot replace an examination. Anything urgent — facial swelling, trauma, uncontrolled bleeding or severe pain — needs a dentist or emergency care now.