How Often Do Cerec Crowns Fail?

With todays technology, a skilled dentist using a CEREC machine will be able to fabricate a crown that is equal to any lab fabricated crown.  In fact there are many labs that are now utilizing CAD-CAM technology to fabricate their crowns.  The real factor to the longevity of the crown, if done well, is the home care and habits of the patient.

I have found over time that the most predictable type of restoration is one made out of gold.  However, many people these days dont want metal in their mouth.  Gold is almost unbreakable and can be cemented in with a traditional easy to use cement.  Cerec crowns are made out of porcelain which is in most cases not as strong as gold.  Cerec also must be bonded  rather than cemented, which means that it requires more steps that have to be followed very carefully.  It is much harder for your dentist to do a "good" cerec crown, than almost any other crown available.  So you want to make sure you are going to someone with plenty of experience with Cerec and find out if they have a warantee of any type in case something goes wrong. Also, cerec restorations tend to be more predictible in certain areas of the mouth like the front and sides vs. the very back teeth, and in people that do not grind or clench their teeth.  The beauty of Cerec is that it can be done in one visit and if done properly, under the right circumstances, it can provide a predictable, reliable result that looks great.  We have done over 1000 cerec restorations in our office and they are more reliable today than ever before.