Restorative Dentistry
CEREC Same-Day Crowns
CEREC lets us design, mill, and place a permanent porcelain crown in a single visit. No goopy impressions, no temporary crown to baby for two weeks, no second appointment. Walk in with a damaged tooth, walk out with a brand-new one.
Why it matters
Benefits
- One visit, one crown, done — no temporary, no second appointment.
- Digital impressions instead of the goopy tray (faster, more accurate, more comfortable).
- Tooth-coloured porcelain matched to your existing teeth.
- Strong enough for back-tooth chewing — same materials as traditional crowns.
- No risk of a temporary crown falling off between appointments.
What to expect
The process
- 01
Digital scan
A small wand captures a 3D scan of your tooth in a few minutes. No goopy impression material, no gag reflex, no waiting for stone models to set.
- 02
Designed on-screen
We design your crown digitally on a computer, matching the shape and bite of the surrounding teeth. You can see it before it's milled.
- 03
Milled in the clinic
Our in-house milling unit cuts your crown from a solid block of porcelain in about 15–20 minutes. We use the time to prepare the tooth for placement.
- 04
Custom shading
The crown is fired and polished to match your existing tooth shade. Most people can't tell which tooth has the crown once it's seated.
- 05
Bonded in place
The crown is cemented onto your tooth in the same visit. You leave with a permanent restoration — no follow-up appointment needed.
What is CEREC?
CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics) is a system that combines a 3D scanner, design software, and a porcelain milling unit — all in the dental office. It replaces the traditional process of:
- Taking a goopy impression
- Sending it to an off-site lab
- Fitting a temporary crown
- Bringing you back two weeks later for the permanent crown
…with a single visit that produces a permanent, custom-fit porcelain crown from start to finish.
Why same-day is better
Beyond the obvious convenience, single-visit crowns have real clinical advantages:
- No temporary crown to fail. Temporary crowns are notorious for falling off at inconvenient moments. With CEREC, there’s no temporary stage.
- A more accurate fit. Digital scanning captures more detail than physical impressions. Better fit means less margin for bacteria to creep in, which means longer-lasting restorations.
- Less time off work. One appointment instead of two.
- No second round of freezing. Many patients dread the second injection more than the first.
When CEREC makes sense
Single-visit crowns are a great fit for:
- A cracked tooth that needs full coverage.
- A large old filling that’s failing or has decay around it.
- Restoring a root-canal-treated tooth — often we can do the root canal and the crown in the same long visit.
- Replacing an old metal or porcelain-fused-to-metal crown with a more natural-looking all-porcelain one.
Book a consultation or call 403-271-2221 — we’ll look at your tooth and let you know if CEREC is the right approach.
FAQ
Questions we hear most often
- Is a CEREC crown as good as a lab-made crown?
- Yes — and in some ways better. CEREC crowns are made from the same medical-grade porcelain used by labs, with the same long-term durability. The advantage is precision: a digital scan is more accurate than a physical impression, and you skip the temporary-crown stage where issues commonly happen.
- How long does a CEREC appointment take?
- Plan for about 90–120 minutes start to finish. That includes preparing the tooth, scanning, milling (about 15–20 minutes during which you can relax), and bonding the final crown in place.
- How much do same-day crowns cost in Calgary?
- CEREC crowns are typically priced similarly to traditional lab-made crowns. We provide a complete written quote at your visit and direct-bill most insurance plans.
- How long does a CEREC crown last?
- With normal care (regular brushing, flossing, check-ups), CEREC crowns commonly last 15+ years. Many last much longer. The most common reason a crown eventually needs replacement is the tooth underneath developing new decay — which is preventable.
- Can any tooth get a CEREC crown?
- Almost any. CEREC is excellent for back molars (which take the most chewing force) and works well for premolars. Front teeth that need very subtle aesthetic detail are sometimes better served by a lab-made veneer or crown — we'll be honest if your case is one of those.
- What's involved in 'preparing the tooth'?
- If there's decay or an old filling, that's removed first. The tooth is then shaped so the new crown will fit over it cleanly. With local freezing, the process is comfortable. Sedation is available if anxiety is a factor.
Ready to talk it through?
Book a consultation.
We'll listen first, then build a plan around your goals and comfort.