Cracked Tooth Season? How CEREC® Crowns Restore Your Smile in Just One Visit
Cooler weather, fall sports, and seasonal treats often bring a surprising number of cracked teeth. Maybe you bit into a caramel apple, crunched on unpopped popcorn kernels, or took an accidental elbow during a weekend game. However it happens, a cracked or damaged tooth can leave you in pain and worried about what comes next.
At Haid Dental, we understand that the last thing you want is multiple appointments, messy impressions, or weeks of waiting for a new crown. That’s why we use advanced CEREC Crowns — a modern approach to cosmetic and restorative dentistry that lets us repair your tooth in a single visit with long-lasting, natural-looking results.
Why Fall Brings More Cracked Teeth
Autumn is full of smile-risking situations. Sticky candies and hard nuts can put extra pressure on your natural teeth, while cooler temperatures sometimes make tiny fractures worse. For athletes, the football and soccer seasons raise the chances of dental injuries. Even simple daily habits like chewing ice or grinding teeth during seasonal stress can damage enamel.
The good news? With today’s dental technology, you don’t have to suffer through weeks with a temporary crown or make a second visit to a dental laboratory. CEREC technology makes the entire process faster, easier, and more comfortable.
What Is a CEREC Crown?
The acronym CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. In plain terms, it’s a ceramic crown created right in our dentist’s office during your appointment.
Instead of sending an impression to a lab and waiting weeks for the finished product, the CEREC system uses digital technology to design and mill your custom dental restoration while you relax in the dental chair. The result is a permanent crown that blends beautifully with your smile and restores the full function of your teeth in less time.
The CEREC Crown Procedure: What to Expect
When you come in for a CEREC crown procedure, here’s how the entire process works:
- Digital Impressions
We take a quick scan with a small camera, eliminating the need for gooey, messy impressions. The scan creates highly accurate digital images of your natural tooth and surrounding teeth. - Designing the Crown
Using advanced CAD/CAM technology, your dentist creates a virtual model of your new crown. This ensures a better fit and a more natural look compared to many traditional crown methods. - Milling the Crown
A chairside milling unit carves the crown out of durable ceramic material. This step usually takes less than 30 minutes, so you spend less time in the office. - Placing the Crown
Once ready, the permanent restoration is bonded securely to your damaged tooth. With a quick polish, you’ll leave with a crown that feels like a perfect fit and functions like a natural tooth.
CEREC vs. Traditional Dental Crowns
Many patients are surprised to learn how different CEREC crowns are from traditional dental crowns.
- Traditional dental crowns often require two or more dental visits, messy molds, and waiting weeks for a lab to create your permanent crown. In the meantime, you wear a fragile temporary crown that may break or come loose.
- With CEREC technology, everything is done in one appointment. There’s no need for a second visit, no fragile temporary crown, and no extra time off work or school.
It’s no wonder CEREC has become a popular choice for patients looking for a good option that saves time without sacrificing quality.
Benefits of CEREC Crowns
Choosing a CEREC crown as your treatment option offers several advantages:
- Single Appointment Convenience – Restore your tooth in a single visit without multiple trips to the dental office.
- Natural Look and Feel – The combination of porcelain and ceramic material creates a natural look that blends seamlessly with your smile.
- Reliable Restoration of Your Tooth – Strong enough to withstand everyday biting and chewing.
- Custom Dental Restorations – Designed for a perfect fit that protects the function of your teeth and supports long-term oral health.
- Modern Dental Technology – Scans, designs, and milling all happen chairside for a more comfortable experience.
When to Call Your Dentist
If you suspect a crack or notice sudden pain while chewing, don’t wait. The last thing you want is for a small issue to turn into a bigger dental problem requiring more complex dental procedures like a root canal or even a dental implant.
CEREC dentists at Haid Dental can quickly determine whether a CEREC crown is the right treatment option for you. In some cases, other types of crowns or dental services may be recommended depending on the different materials and needs of your smile.
Restoring Confidence in Just One Visit
At Haid Dental, our goal is to make sure every patient feels comfortable, informed, and cared for. If you’ve cracked a tooth this season—or if you’ve been putting off a dental crown procedure — our team is here with advanced CEREC technology and a supportive, judgment-free environment.
We treat you like family, not just a chart number. And we believe that the best smile is one that functions, feels, and looks natural again.
Schedule Your Appointment Today
Don’t let a cracked or damaged tooth keep you from enjoying fall gatherings, holiday treats, or your everyday meals. With CEREC crowns, you can walk into our dental practice with a broken tooth and walk out the same day with a strong, beautiful permanent restoration.