Aren't there any dental offices that actually make the porcelain crowns right on the premises?

It sucks because you have to wait so long for the lab to make them, then if they aren't right they have to be sent back to the lab forcing you to wear temporaries for another two weeks. It is such a long process. I have to have my two front ones done and wearing temporaries for a month is torture, I've done it before.

Yes, some dentists have the CEREC setup by Sirona. CEREC is a computer-controlled porcelain milling system that can cut a porcelain crown out of a block using a 3-D milling machine while you wait. (Takes about 20 minutes to mill a complete crown). A dentist would scan the tooth he shaved down to receive a crown using the CEREC scanner, and the CEREC system will try to digitize the tooth shape from the scan and mill a crown to fit.

This technology is still in its maturing stages though, and takes quite a bit of tweaking to get it to work right. I suspect in another decade or so it should be mature enough that more dentists would equip their practices with it.

For tech-head patients who wants to know how the CEREC system works: http://www.cereconline.com/ecomaXL/index...

about one in ten dentists has a cerec now. and that would probably also be the top ten percent in skilled dentists also. i can tell that was an older dentist that answered before. the technology produces a much higher quality crown at a faster speed. the older ways of making crowns is just about obsolete. in my office anyways.

Tom, does Cerec work out okay for central incisors? I had the impression that the shade was monoblock and not suitable for truly esthetic results. I'll check back...

i have two cerec's on our office and love them (they are quite easy to use-the cda's usually design the tooth), but we don't use them for front teeth. the blocks are monotone, but you can get graduated ones. we prefer our patients go to the lab for custom shades on anterior teeth.
i'm just wondering why your dentist is using a lab that takes a month. a week for a local lab or tops 10 days for the out of town one.
i guess we're just cooler up in canada -literally. :)