What Are CEREC® Restorations? Same-Day Crowns, Explained

For years, getting a crown meant the same routine: two appointments, at least two weeks apart, a set of goopy impressions, and a temporary crown to nurse in between — one that always seemed to come loose at the worst possible moment. If you've ever had to eat carefully on one side of your mouth for a fortnight while waiting for a lab to send back the "real" crown, you know exactly what we mean.

There's a better way, and it's already sitting quietly in our surgery in Shepperton. It's called CEREC®.

What is CEREC?

CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics — a mouthful, but the idea is simple. It's a computer-aided design and manufacturing system that lets us design, mill, and fit a ceramic restoration (crown, inlay, onlay, or veneer) in a single appointment, usually in around 90 minutes to 2 hours.

Instead of taking a physical impression and sending it to a distant lab, we use a small 3D intraoral scanner to capture a highly accurate digital model of your tooth. Our software then designs the restoration on screen, and a milling machine right here in the practice carves it from a single block of tooth-coloured ceramic. It's then polished, bonded onto your tooth, and you go home with the finished tooth. No temporary. No second visit. No two weeks of eating awkwardly.

What actually happens: the 5-step process

1. Preparation

We numb the tooth with local anaesthetic and remove any old filling material, decay, or weakened structure — exactly as we would for a conventional crown, just usually with a more conservative preparation.

2. Digital scan

Instead of the traditional impression tray filled with putty, we take a 3D digital scan with a small camera-tipped wand. It takes a few minutes, there's nothing to bite into, and no gagging. If you've ever hated impressions, this alone is worth the visit.

3. Design

You'll actually see your new tooth being designed on the monitor. We shape it to match your bite, contact your neighbouring teeth correctly, and blend naturally into your smile. Any adjustments happen here, before a single piece of ceramic has been touched.

4. Milling

The design is sent to the milling machine, which carves your restoration out of a solid block of high-strength ceramic. This takes around 10–15 minutes — a good moment for a cup of tea. The finish is characterised and polished to match the exact shade of your natural teeth.

5. Bonding

We check the fit, adjust the bite, and then bond the restoration permanently into place. You walk out with a finished, functioning tooth the same day.

Who is CEREC right for?

CEREC restorations are a great fit for:

• Anyone needing a crown, inlay, onlay, or single ceramic veneer.
• Patients who can't easily take multiple days off work or travel back for a second visit.
• Nervous patients who dread multiple appointments — one visit means one round of anaesthetic and one round of anxiety instead of two. Read more on how we care for nervous patients.
• Patients who have struggled with temporary crowns coming loose in the past.
• Anyone who dislikes conventional impressions.

For very complex cases — full-mouth rehabilitations, multi-unit bridges, or highly aesthetic front-teeth veneer cases — we sometimes still recommend a traditional lab-crafted approach. We'll always tell you honestly which route will give you the best result.

Benefits beyond speed

Same-day convenience is the headline, but CEREC gives you more than that:

• Metal-free — the ceramic is biocompatible and mercury-free.
• Highly durable — modern CEREC ceramics are extremely strong and hold up well to normal biting forces.
• Natural appearance — the block is chosen to match your tooth shade, then characterised and polished for a lifelike finish.
• More conservative preparation — because the digital workflow is so precise, we often need to remove less healthy tooth structure than with a traditional crown.
• Excellent fit — no impression distortion, no temporary cement contamination. The digital scan-to-mill workflow means the restoration seats accurately first time.
• Fewer injections and appointments — better for your day, and better for your comfort.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a CEREC appointment take? Typically 90 minutes to 2 hours from start to finish, depending on the tooth. You'll be in the chair for most of that, with a break while the milling machine works.

Are CEREC crowns as strong as lab-made ones? Yes. Modern CEREC ceramics (such as lithium disilicate) have flexural strength comparable to or exceeding traditional lab-made ceramic crowns.

How long do CEREC restorations last? With good oral hygiene and regular check-ups, CEREC crowns typically last 10–15 years or more — very comparable to traditional crowns.

Can CEREC be used for front teeth? Yes, for single-tooth crowns and single veneers, CEREC gives excellent aesthetics. For multi-unit front-teeth cases (e.g. six matching veneers), we may still use a specialist lab for the most refined shade blending.

Does it hurt? No more than a conventional crown appointment. The preparation is done under local anaesthetic, and there's no temporary crown to deal with afterwards.

Is it more expensive than a traditional crown? Not necessarily — often it's very comparable, and sometimes less once you factor in fewer appointments and no temporary crown fee. We'll give you a written estimate before you commit.

Cost and finance

CEREC restorations at our Shepperton practice typically start from around £850 per unit, depending on the tooth and material. Every patient receives a written estimate before treatment begins, and we offer 0% interest-free finance to spread the cost.

Confident Smile Ltd, trading as Confident Smile Dental Practice, is an Appointed Representative of Chrysalis Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Confident Smile Ltd is a credit broker, not a lender.

One appointment. One tooth. Same day.

If you need a crown, an onlay, or a single veneer, come and talk to us about whether CEREC is the right fit for you. It's the modern way to restore a tooth — precise, comfortable, and finished in a single visit.

Call 01932 227 349 to book a consultation, or contact us online and we'll come back to you the same day.