I like CEREC emax crowns. I am the one that prepares the tooth, I am the one that designs the crown, I am the one that picks the colors. I have total control of the procedure. Plus, you get everything done in one appointment. No second visit.

I had the Cerec machine and I have replaced all but 2 of the ones that we fabricated in 1 hour. The remaining 2- 1 on a staff member and the second is on a close friend. I monitor them often. The newer ones look a little better - but there is no substitute for a great lab.

Wait it out and get the lab to make it.

Best of luck, Brian

Yes, cerec machines can make emax crowns.

The cerec machines are fantastic, however, some have found that they are not quite as accurate as a dental lab. That being said, not all dental labs are made equal. So the quality of the cerec is dependent on the impression that the machine can take, however, the quality of the lab crown is dependent on the quality of the impression taken at the office. There are a few factors at play here, but the most important is the ability of the area to stay dry. If your dentist is able to keep a dry field (not always in his or her powers to do so), any crown will be great. If there is some moisture in the area, the lab crown may be a better choice, because the human touch is able to adjust for imperfections in the crown. Hope that helps.

I am an oral surgeon but I am up on digital CAD CAM dentistry and I discuss this issue often with my wife who is a general dentist. Dentistry is definitely moving the digital direction. In fact it was just announced that BU has gone fully digital. http://www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2012/10/boston-university-announces-all-digital-dental-school-campus.html

That being said, the materials and machines keep improving. There is still the important factor that there is high quality of the the work done by the dentist who needs to be proficient with these newer technologies. Remember the saying 'garbage in = garbage out' ? I hear it applies here as with many things. The software on the machine can sometimes identify problems as could a lab like Keller. For complicated cases it may in fact be better for the dentist to utilize outside professionals. These days we all want things 'right now' which can be fine but sometimes it is ok to wait. Good luck!

There are benefits to same day Dentistry . The fact that you don't need a temporary and 1 visit to complete is an enormous benefit. EMax crown are also made by the E 4D machine which we have in our office. The patients live them!

In choosing cerec machine vs Laboratory fabricated dental crowns, as a cosmetic dentist, I personally prefer laboratory fabricated, since the color, fit and many other factors is custom made. Most porcelain used in cerec machines are either opaque or very much translucent,and basically the color placed on those crowns are extrinsic and can wash away within 5 to 7 years, sometimes sooner, as opposed to a great dental lab, in which intrinsic coloring is used. Cerec would be great , if time is an issue, and especially if the crowns are in the back teeth and not front teeth.

Hope this helped you.

Best of luck !

This is a difficult to answer accurately. It really depends on what you need and where the location is. Cerec crowns are milled by a computer driven milling unit and they are made from a premade block of Emax. We call this a monolithic restoration because it is made from one material or just one layer of material. For posterior or back teeth I often recommend monolithic restorations due to the inherent resistance to fracture. Most monolithic milled restorations are made from Emax or Zirconium. The negative of these restorations is that real teeth usually have multiple colors in them and while the colors in the Cerec blocks have improved they are still not as pretty as a multiple layer restoration. However for back teeth this is usually not a big problem as they are much less visible(depending on how you smile and where this restoration is). If my patients need a front tooth restoration I then use a lab as they can bake the restoration with multiple layers and therefore try to match the natural teeth as closely as possible. This also depends on your dentist and the lab they use. I have a technician who comes into my office so that we can bake and add or subtract in office to get the best results for our patients. However, many dentists can give you a great result using outside labs such as places like Keller who have an excellent reputation. Also, there are Cerec dentists who can do front teeth fairly well and there are laboratories that will not give a good result in any area. It is probably best to ask the Dentist you are seeing to show you some of there work via pictures etc. Good luck with whatever you choose.

It dependence what material you choose to have the crown to be made of. If porcelain e-max is the great material close to the properties of your natural tooth. Gold has a lot of other heavy metals in it which could be an issue for your health. Most of the labs are using also cerec machine these days. So I would choose in office so you can have the crown done the same day.

Cerec crowns can make Emax crowns. I would let your dentist make the decision of which is the correct material to use in your situation. Emax may not always be the best material. It is neither better, nor worse to have crowns done in a dental lab, or made in the office. It depends on too many factors. Cerec crowns can be very bad id the dentist does not design it properly. On the other hand a lab made crown can be very bad if your dentist sends a bad impression of the tooth to the lab. Usually those with a Cerec machine will tell you that way is better and those without one will tell you a dental lab is the best way.