Ceramic Crowns Made with CAD/CAM – How Are They Created?
Scanning instead of impression trays, design on screen, milling from a ceramic block: this is how a crown is made digitally.
In the past, a crown meant an impression tray with impression paste, a plaster model and handwork in the laboratory. With CAD/CAM technology, much of this is done digitally – from the scan in the mouth to the milled ceramic. This makes the path to a crown more comfortable and the result very precise.
For a CAD/CAM crown, the prepared tooth is scanned digitally, the crown is designed on the computer and milled from an industrially manufactured ceramic block. Until it is ready, a temporary crown protects the tooth; the crown is fitted at the follow-up appointment. Advantages: no impression tray, a very precise fit and stored data.
Procedure
Procedure- Preparationunder anaesthesia: removing decay and old fillings, shaping the tooth.
- Scandigital impression of the tooth, the neighbouring teeth and the opposing jaw.
- Temporary crownprotects the tooth until the crown is ready.
- DesignThe crown is designed on screen and adapted to your bite.
- Milling and firingThe crown is made from a ceramic block; glaze and colour are adjusted individually.
- Fittingat the follow-up appointment: checking the fit, bonding it adhesively, checking the bite.
Advantages of the digital route
- no impression tray – comfortable, especially if you have a gag reflex
- a very precise fit, because scanning and design involve no material distortion
- homogeneous, industrially manufactured ceramic
- stored data – a replacement can be made without a new impression
When a master dental laboratory is needed
- larger bridges and very complex cases
- particularly high aesthetic demands for individual front teeth (layered ceramic)
- situations in which the gums first need to heal
In these cases we work with a master dental laboratory – the digital impression is simply transferred.
Book your appointment at the Zahnarztpraxis St. Peter – via online booking or by phone on 0911 554181. You will find us at Hainstraße 25, 90461 Nürnberg (tram 6/10 to Scharrerstraße, patient parking via Scharrerstraße).
Frequently asked questions
How many appointments will I need?
Usually two: preparation and scan at the first appointment, fitting of the finished crown at the second.
Is the crown as strong as a laboratory crown?
Industrially manufactured ceramic blocks are very homogeneous and resilient. When used for the right indication, CAD/CAM crowns are long-lasting.
This article is a translation of our German guide and does not replace a personal examination and consultation. If you have symptoms, please see a dentist – for example at the Zahnarztpraxis St. Peter in Nuremberg.
