I am really disappointed because I have 3 CEREC crowns for upper molar teeth that have all cracked. The cracks have occurred over the last 4 or 5 months. I looked back at my insurance records online and I got the crowns in December 2004 when I lived in Colorado. Is there a known problem with these crowns so that I should request a lab crown this time? Cindi
Cindi – Your crowns have lasted almost 11 years, which is a very acceptable amount of time for the life of a crown. Depending on the material, the stress and wear on it, and the care for it, a crown can last less than, and sometimes a little longer than your crowns. Based on the age of your crowns, it is unlikely that CEREC® is to be blamed. The lifespan of variety of ceramic or porcelain crowns is similar to what you have experienced.
If relatively new crowns break, it can be caused by poor crown construction, improper seating of the crown, or teeth grinding (bruxism). Neither of these sounds like the cause in your case, because the crowns would have cracked sooner. Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns may last longer, but the restorations aren’t as lifelike as all-porcelain crowns.
You can ask your dentist what your options are for new crowns. If you don’t have a cosmetic dentist, you can consider finding one to provide you with customized CEREC crowns, or other porcelain options to give you natural-looking results.
This post is sponsored by the San Jose dentists of Hillsdale Dental Care.
