Do CEREC Crowns Break Easily?

I’ve had crowns before and have never had any problems. My previous crowns were with a different dentist and were always the result of an infection gone mad which required a root canal treatment. This time, I decided to try to get treatment before an infection developed. Unfortunately, the new dentist said the cavity is too large for a traditional filling and will still need a crown (well, at least I don’t also need a root canal). It’s a step up. He told me he could give me a CEREC crown in just one day. I liked the idea of not missing more work and agreed, but after just two weeks it broke. I called the office and he offered to replace it for free. I’m hesitant to do so if it will just break again. Are CERECs weaker than other crowns?

Olivia

Dear Olivia,

Machine for CEREC Crowns
CEREC Crowns are Milled by Computer

CEREC crowns are just as strong as traditional crowns. What happened in your situation is incredibly unusual. As you’ve had several crowns before, did you notice anything which felt unusual about this one? Maybe your crown hit your teeth before the rest of your teeth or possibly tooth pain when you bit down? I could see a crown breaking if it sat way too high, but even then it would take some flaws in the materials for it to break that soon after it was placed.

In general CEREC crowns have less of a chance of having a problem because they’re designed by a sophisticated software program and milled by machine. They should fit perfectly. You didn’t mention pain, which again makes me wonder about something being off with the materials.

Redoing Your CEREC Crown

Going forward, I’d give your dentist an opportunity to fix this. It’s so unusual for this to happen so I doubt it would again. If it does, the dentist would be the problem. If you happen to look up your dentist’s reviews and see this is a regular thing, then my suggestion would be to find another dentist. It probably wouldn’t matter what type of crown he gave you.

In that case, you may want to see an emergency dentist in your area. They can help you get a crown and get you back on your way. You won’t want to wait too long because your teeth will shift into the open space left by the broken crown.

I’m NOT saying this is what happened, but be careful about dentists whose prices are significantly lower than other dentists in the area. There is a huge difference between an affordable dentist and a cheap dentist. Our area was hit hard economically, so it’s tempting for patients to go for the cheapest. It’s also tempting for some (less ethical) dentists to draw in patients by lowering their prices, then buying subpar materials which helps them make up their profits.

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