By Dr. Gregg Barry | 13 April 2026
One Visit. No Temporary Crown. A Permanent Result.
Most people expect a dental crown to take two or three appointments. You come in, the dentist drills down your tooth, takes an impression, fits a temporary crown, you wait two weeks, and you come back for the permanent one. It’s the dental experience equivalent of getting a parcel delivered only when you’re definitely not home.
We do it differently. With our CEREC digital dentistry system, we can design, mill, and fit a permanent ceramic crown in a single two-hour appointment. You arrive with a broken or damaged tooth. You leave with a permanent, custom-made crown. Same day. No temporary. No second visit.
Here’s exactly how it works — and why it matters.
What Is CEREC and How Does It Work?
CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. It’s a CAD/CAM (computer-aided design and manufacturing) system that lets us complete the entire crown process in-house, in one session.
The technology involves three stages:
- Digital scan. Instead of a messy impression tray, we use the Primescan — a digital scanner from Dentsply Sirona — to take a precise 3D scan of your tooth in seconds. No gagging, no wait time for the impression to set.
- Digital design. We design your crown on-screen to match your bite, the shape of your surrounding teeth, and your individual anatomy. You can see it before we make it.
- Milling. The Primemill — our in-house milling unit — carves your crown from a solid block of dental ceramic in around 15 minutes. While it’s milling, you sit back. We then glaze and fire the crown for final strength and aesthetics.
The result is a permanent, all-ceramic crown bonded in the same appointment. No lab. No waiting. No temporary crown falling off at dinner.
CEREC vs Traditional Crown: What’s the Actual Difference?
Let’s be honest about both options, because there are cases where each is the right choice.
Traditional Crown (Lab-Made)
- 2-3 appointments over 2-4 weeks
- Temporary crown between visits (can crack, fall off, cause sensitivity)
- Crown made offsite by a dental lab technician
- Excellent for complex cases involving multiple teeth, very precise shade-matching, or implant-retained crowns
- Allows more time for planning in complex restorative cases
CEREC Same-Day Crown
- Single appointment, typically 1.5 to 2.5 hours
- No temporary crown — permanent ceramic from day one
- Designed and milled in our clinic
- Excellent for most single-tooth restorations: damaged teeth, old crowns needing replacement, teeth after root canal treatment
- Same-day result — convenient for busy schedules
For the vast majority of crowns we place — single-tooth restorations on back teeth, damaged teeth, teeth that have had root canals — CEREC is our preferred approach. The quality is equivalent, and the experience is dramatically better for patients.
What’s the Quality Actually Like?
This is the question we get asked most, usually from people who assume that “faster” must mean “worse.” It doesn’t.
CEREC crowns are made from high-strength dental ceramic (typically zirconia-reinforced lithium disilicate, or monolithic zirconia for back teeth) — the same materials used in lab-made restorations. The digital design and milling process produces extremely accurate margins, which is one of the most important factors in crown longevity.
The clinical evidence supports this. A large study published in the Journal of Dentistry tracking over 3,400 crowns found annual failure rates of less than 1% for survival, meaning the vast majority of well-made crowns are still in place and functioning after a decade. A separate prospective multi-centre study found all-ceramic crowns achieving 95% success rates at up to 15 years. These figures reflect what you’d expect from well-made crowns placed with precision — which is exactly what CEREC allows.
Evidence note: Crown longevity data referenced from Abt E et al., “A practice based longevity study on single-unit crowns,” Journal of Dentistry, 2018 (PubMed: 29800638), and a prospective multi-centre study on all-ceramic crowns, Journal of Dentistry, 2021.
Who Is a Good Candidate for a Same-Day CEREC Crown?
Most people who need a crown are good candidates for CEREC. Specifically, it works well for:
- Broken or heavily damaged teeth — a tooth that’s cracked, chipped down significantly, or fractured in a way that can’t be fixed with a filling
- Teeth after root canal treatment — root-treated teeth become more brittle over time and almost always need a crown for long-term protection
- Old crowns needing replacement — metal amalgam crowns or old porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns that are failing or cosmetically unsatisfactory
- Large existing fillings — when a filling takes up more than half the tooth structure, a crown provides far better long-term protection
- Emergency dental situations — a same-day crown can resolve a dental emergency in a single visit rather than leaving you with a temporary for two weeks
Cases where we might still recommend a lab-made crown include complex full-arch restorations, very specific shade requirements for highly visible front teeth, or implant-retained crowns where our prosthodontist recommends the lab-made route for precision fitting.
We’ll always tell you which option gives you the best outcome for your specific situation — not whichever is more convenient for us.
How Long Does the Appointment Take?
A typical CEREC crown appointment runs between 1.5 and 2.5 hours from start to finish. Here’s how that time breaks down:
- Examination and preparation: 30-45 minutes — assessing the tooth, administering local anaesthetic, preparing the tooth down to the right shape
- Digital scanning: 5-10 minutes — the Primescan captures a precise 3D map of the prepared tooth and surrounding teeth
- Digital design: 10-15 minutes — we design your crown on-screen, checking the margins, occlusion, and aesthetics
- Milling: 15-20 minutes — the Primemill carves the crown while you relax
- Glazing and firing: 15-20 minutes — the crown is fired in a small furnace to achieve final strength and polish
- Fitting and bonding: 20-30 minutes — we try the crown in, make any fine adjustments, and bond it permanently
You can expect to be with us for a solid two hours. We’d rather you know this upfront than feel rushed or surprised. Most patients tell us it was far less uncomfortable than they expected — a lot of that time you’re either numb or just waiting while the machine does its thing.
How Much Does a CEREC Crown Cost in Dublin?
At Docklands Dental, a CEREC crown costs €1,050. This includes the digital scan, design, milling, and fitting — everything in a single appointment.
Compare this to the traditional process: our hand-layered lab-made crown is €1,200, and that’s before you factor in two appointments, potential issues with temporaries, and the general inconvenience of the process stretching over weeks.
Some dental insurance plans cover a portion of crown costs. We can provide the treatment codes you’ll need to make a claim. If cost is a concern, we’re happy to discuss payment plan options at your consultation.
You can see our full dental price list here.
Do I Need a Consultation First?
For same-day CEREC crowns, we do need to examine your tooth before confirming it’s the right approach. In many cases, we can complete the examination and the crown in the same appointment — especially if you’re coming to us with an obvious crown situation (a broken tooth, a failing old crown, or a tooth that’s just had a root canal elsewhere).
If you’re unsure whether you need a crown at all, book a standard examination and we’ll give you an honest assessment. We’ll always tell you whether a crown is genuinely necessary, or whether a large filling or onlay might be a better option for your situation.
To book, get in touch here or call us on 01 636 0192. Our practice is at 1 Forbes Street, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2, D02 FN53 — right in the heart of the Docklands, minutes from Grand Canal Dock DART.
See all our crown, inlay and onlay treatment options here.
Need a crown? You can book a cosmetic consultation online — thirty minutes with one of our dentists to look at your teeth and talk through the options and what they would cost (€80, as listed on our price list).
Frequently asked questions
How long does a same-day CEREC crown take in Dublin?
A CEREC same-day crown appointment at Docklands Dental typically takes 1.5 to 2.5 hours from start to finish. This includes tooth preparation, digital scanning, on-screen design, milling, glazing, and permanent fitting — all in a single visit with no temporary crown and no return appointment required.
Are CEREC same-day crowns as good as traditional lab-made crowns?
For most single-tooth restorations, yes. CEREC crowns are made from the same high-strength dental ceramics used in lab-made crowns, and the digital milling process produces highly accurate margins. Clinical studies show all-ceramic crowns achieving 95% success rates at up to 15 years. In specific situations — complex multi-tooth restorations, precise shade-critical front teeth, or implant-retained crowns — a lab-made crown may still be recommended.
Can I get a crown fitted on the same day as my first appointment?
In many cases, yes. If you arrive with an obvious crown situation — a broken tooth, a failing old crown, or a tooth recently treated with a root canal — we can often complete the assessment and crown fitting in the same visit. We will examine your tooth first to confirm CEREC is the right approach before proceeding.
What teeth can be treated with CEREC same-day crowns?
CEREC same-day crowns are suitable for most single-tooth restorations: broken or heavily damaged teeth, teeth following root canal treatment, old crowns needing replacement, and teeth with large failing fillings. Front teeth requiring very precise shade-matching may sometimes be better suited to a lab-made crown — we will advise based on your specific situation.
