When a tooth cracks, wears down, or loses a large filling, the traditional fix has always come with a catch: weeks of waiting, a putty impression, a temporary crown, and a second trip back to the office. For people across Brookline and the surrounding Boston area who are already juggling busy schedules, that drawn-out process is often the reason a needed crown gets put off. Restoring the tooth quickly, comfortably, and in a way that looks completely natural is what makes same-day care so appealing to so many of our patients.
At Longwood Dental Group, we use in-office CEREC technology to design, mill, and place a custom ceramic crown in a single visit. As a multi-specialty practice with more than 40 years of history, our own in-house dental laboratory, and clinicians who include faculty who teach at Harvard, we handle crown cases from the routine to the complex, without sending you elsewhere.
What Are CEREC Same-Day Crowns?
CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics) is a CAD/CAM system that lets us create a permanent crown right in our Brookline office rather than outsourcing it to a separate lab. A traditional crown is fabricated off-site over a couple of weeks while you wear a temporary, but a CEREC crown is digitally designed and milled from a single block of tooth-colored ceramic while you wait. Because the restoration is metal-free and shade-matched to your surrounding teeth, the result is both durable and indistinguishable from a natural tooth.
The Single-Visit CEREC Process
The entire restoration is completed in one appointment that typically takes about two hours. Our team walks you through each stage so you always know what comes next.
We capture precise 3D images of your tooth with a digital intraoral scanner: no messy putty impression trays, no gagging, and a far more accurate starting point for your restoration design.
Specialized CAD software maps the exact shape, size, and fit of your crown. Your provider reviews and refines the design to match your bite and surrounding tooth contour before anything is milled.
Our chairside milling unit carves your crown from a solid ceramic block in minutes while you stay in the chair, or step out for a short break. No lab. No waiting room. No second appointment.
We polish, verify the fit, and bond the finished crown the same day. You leave with a permanent, natural-looking restoration, not a temporary that needs to be replaced at a follow-up visit.
CEREC Crowns vs. Traditional Lab Crowns
Both options restore a damaged tooth with a durable, natural-looking cap, but the experience of getting there is very different.
| What to Expect | CEREC Same-Day Crown | Traditional Lab Crown |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Visits | One appointment | Two or more appointments |
| Impressions | Digital scan, no putty | Physical putty mold |
| Temporary Crown | Not needed | Worn for one to several weeks |
| Material | Metal-free ceramic | Often has a metal base |
| Time to Completion | About two hours | Several weeks |
| Durability | 95%+ survival rate (NIH) | Comparable long-term lifespan |
A systematic review and meta-analysis published by the National Institutes of Health found that CAD/CAM ceramic restorations had an overall survival rate of roughly 95% or higher across multiple years of follow-up, comparable to lab-fabricated crowns, without the wait.
When a CEREC Crown Is the Right Choice
A crown is typically the right solution when a tooth is too compromised for a simple filling but still healthy enough to save. Common situations where a same-day CEREC crown is appropriate include:
A tooth that has lost structural integrity needs full-coverage protection to prevent further fracture, and CEREC delivers it the same day.
When too little healthy tooth remains to support another filling, a crown is the most conservative way to protect and restore the tooth.
A tooth treated with a root canal becomes brittle over time. A crown seals and protects it, and with CEREC, it can be placed the same day as the root canal when timing allows.
A misshapen, discolored, or undersized tooth can be restored to a natural-looking, properly proportioned result with a ceramic CEREC crown.
For partial restorations where a full crown is not needed, we also offer dental inlays and onlays milled with the same CEREC technology. Teeth with damage extending below the gum line may be better served by a traditionally fabricated crown, and we will tell you honestly which path fits your specific situation.
Meet Our CEREC Providers
Your same-day crown is placed by clinicians who specialize in rebuilding teeth predictably and beautifully. CEREC crown services at Longwood Dental Group are available through Dr. Walid Benaissa, Dr. Talar Kiladjian, Dr. Nicholas Boschetti, and Dr. Ahmed Abugad. They work alongside our broader specialty dentistry team, including periodontists, prosthodontists, and endodontists, so even complex restorative cases are coordinated and completed under one roof without outside referrals.
Why Patients Choose Longwood Dental Group
Best of Boston honoree recognized by peers year after year, with the depth of experience to handle the complex cases many practices refer out.
Our own milling unit and in-house laboratory give us complete quality control over every restoration, and the ability to place permanent crowns without lab delays.
Our dentists choose the materials and technology they believe are best for each patient, not what’s most cost-efficient for a corporate model. That freedom shows in outcomes.
We serve patients in Arabic, Armenian, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Tagalog, and offer early morning and evening availability to fit your schedule.
Cost and Insurance
A crown is an investment in keeping your natural tooth, and we believe in full transparency about what that involves. The total cost depends on the tooth being treated and the materials chosen. We accept most major dental insurance plans and offer an in-house membership plan, and our team will review your benefits and financing options with you before treatment begins so cost is never a barrier to getting the care you need.
CEREC Crown FAQs
How long do CEREC crowns last?
With good oral hygiene and regular checkups, CEREC crowns offer durability comparable to traditional lab-made crowns and commonly last 10–15 years or longer. Brushing, flossing, and avoiding habits like chewing ice or hard objects all help extend the life of your restoration.
Are CEREC crowns as strong as traditional crowns?
Yes. CEREC crowns are milled from a solid block of high-quality dental ceramic, giving them strength and longevity comparable to lab-fabricated crowns. The single-visit process does not compromise the fit or durability of the final restoration.
What is the difference between a CEREC crown and a regular dental crown?
Both are dental crowns; the difference is how and when they’re made. A traditional crown is produced at an outside lab over a couple of weeks while you wear a temporary. A CEREC crown is digitally designed and milled in our office the same day. Both have a similar expected lifespan.
Do CEREC crowns look natural?
Yes. CEREC crowns are made from tooth-colored ceramic and shade-matched to blend with your surrounding teeth. Because they contain no metal, there is no dark line at the gum and no concern about temperature sensitivity from a metal base; just a result that looks and feels like a natural tooth.
Does dental insurance cover CEREC crowns?
Many dental plans cover crowns to some degree, though coverage varies by plan and the clinical reason the crown is needed. Our team will review your specific benefits and explain estimated out-of-pocket costs before treatment begins. We also offer financing options to help when needed.
Schedule Your CEREC Crown Consultation in Brookline
There’s no reason to spend weeks in a temporary crown when a comfortable, natural-looking permanent crown can be completed in a single visit. Our Brookline team opens early and stays late to fit your schedule, and we speak 8 languages to make every visit as comfortable as possible.