Anyone who has ever had a dental crown procedure knows that the process can be a long and timely process often having to visit the dentist two or more times. Today, thanks to modern technology, dental crowns can be done in one office visit.
Traditional methods of crown placements included a visit to the dentist where an impression was made and sent out to a dental lab for creating the crown. In the meanwhile, the patient would have to have a temporary, which remained in place for about two weeks while the permanent crown was being prepared.
The patient would then have to return for another office visit for the placement of the permanent crown. Sometimes while the dentist would be installing the crown they would discover that it did not fit properly and another impression would have to be made, that once again would be sent to the lab.
Some Lake Forest dentists now have the use of a (CAD/CAM) Computer Assisted Design/Computer Assisted Manufacture machine that can perform procedures in the dental office. These amazing machines use a specialized camera and digitally create the crown after a powder is gently sprayed on the tooth. This prevents the need of messy impressions and temporaries as well as the scheduling of a second office visit. The permanent crown is completed in one office visit and is made to provide a natural look.
Some dental procedures still require the use of a lab such as gold crowns or bridges, but with the new computer machine, impressions are no longer required for these dental procedures. Lake Forest dentists can do the entire procedure for a one-visit crown in about one hour. Lake Forest dentists who use these machines are required to take a course to learn the basics although the machine does most of the work. Prepping and placing the crown is very similar to traditional methods. With this wonderful advancement in technology, patients and dentist are both benefited. .