For most of the last century, getting a dental crown was a two-appointment affair. Prep the tooth, take a putty impression, fit a temporary, send the impression away to a lab, and ask the patient to come back a fortnight later for the real thing. That model is still how a great many practices in the UK operate. At Atrium Dental in Camberley, it isn’t.

Matt Golightly, Atrium’s principal dentist, has been working with CEREC — the chairside digital scan-and-mill system that produces a finished crown in a single appointment — for many years. He was on it early, when it was still considered cutting-edge.

“I was an early adopter of digital dentistry. I’ve been using the CEREC system for years and years.” — Matt Golightly

The result, for patients, is a meaningfully different experience. Here is what same-day crowns actually involve, and where they tend to shine.

What CEREC is, in plain English

CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics — a clunky name for an elegant idea. Rather than taking a goopy putty impression of the tooth, the dentist scans it with a small wand-shaped camera. The scan builds a precise 3D model of the prepared tooth on a screen. The dentist designs the crown digitally, and a small milling machine in the practice carves it out of a solid block of ceramic. The crown is then bonded onto the tooth, all in the same appointment.

There is no temporary crown. There is no second visit. The patient walks out with the final, fitted restoration.

The traditional crown vs the same-day crown

To make the contrast clear, compare what a traditional crown looks like for a patient versus a CEREC same-day crown.

Traditional crown. First visit: numb the tooth, prepare it, take a putty impression, fit a temporary crown, send the impression to an outside lab. Two weeks of living with a temporary that can come loose, feel rough or look obviously different. Second visit: numb again, remove the temporary, try in the lab-made crown, adjust, bond it in place.

CEREC same-day crown. One visit: numb the tooth, prepare it, digital scan, design on screen, mill on site, bond in place. Done.

For patients who live with a busy work schedule, who travel for a living, or who simply do not want to come back to the chair two weeks later, the time saving is significant. For patients who dislike putty impressions and the gag reflex they often trigger, the move from goop to scanner is a quietly major upgrade.

When same-day crowns are the right call

Same-day crowns are well suited to a wide range of situations: replacing an old or failing crown, restoring a tooth that has fractured or worn down, finishing a root canal-treated tooth that needs full coverage, or rebuilding a front tooth where the appearance matters. They are designed and milled from high-strength ceramic that blends naturally with surrounding teeth.

They are not always the right answer for every case — some complex aesthetic work, or cases that require very specific lab artistry, may still be better served by a traditional lab workflow. The dentist will tell you which route is right for your tooth. But for most everyday crown needs, CEREC delivers the same clinical outcome with far less of a patient’s time.

A story that captures the point

Matt has been treating clients of The Hope Hub, a Surrey Heath charity supporting people experiencing homelessness, for several years — providing same-day emergency dental treatment free of charge. One case stays with him.

“One of their clients came to me. He was South African. He’d had top-of-the-line dentistry done in South Africa, then he came over here, became homeless. Three of his front crowns had come away. The teeth underneath were fine, so I sat him down, and on my CEREC I re-crowned those three teeth.” — Matt Golightly

He had no second appointment to come back to. He had no fortnight to wait in a temporary. He needed his smile that day.

“On the back of that, he fed back that he went away with the smile, giving him the confidence that he got a job again. That’s a win.” — Matt Golightly

The clinical work and the technology are the same whether the patient is a Hope Hub client or a paying Camberley local — that is the point. Same-day crowns are not a luxury. They are simply how the workflow runs at Atrium.

What the appointment is actually like

If you have only ever had traditional crown work done, it is worth knowing what to expect. The appointment is longer than a routine filling — usually a single block of around an hour and a half to two hours, depending on the case. The tooth is numbed and prepared in the normal way. The scanner is small, comfortable and quick. The milling itself happens in the room while you take a short break — you can sit back, have a cup of tea and read your phone. The fitting and final bond are then completed in the chair.

There is no need to come back for a second appointment, no temporary to manage, no impression material to swallow around. By the end of the visit, the work is finished.

Is a same-day crown right for you?

If you have an old crown that’s failing, a tooth that needs full coverage after root canal treatment, or a chipped front tooth you have been putting off, a same-day CEREC crown is worth asking about. It is the same clinical outcome — a strong, well-fitting, natural-looking restoration — with a fraction of the disruption to your week.

To find out whether a CEREC restoration is the right option for you, book a consultation for same-day crowns at Atrium Dental in Camberley, or get in touch with the team to discuss your case.

MEET

Matt Golightly

Principal Dentist · BDS Lond 1993 · GDC 69698

Matt qualified from King's College London in 1993 and spent his first two years in the dental departments at King's College Hospital and St George's, gaining the surgical grounding that still underpins his clinical work today. He has since practised as a general dentist in and around Surrey, eventually founding Atrium Dental in Camberley.

Matt has a particular interest in dental implants and orthodontics alongside general dentistry. He trained in implants at the Royal College of Surgeons and has been placing them for over twenty years. More recently he completed the IAS Academy Advanced Year course in orthodontics and is working toward the full diploma. He was also an early adopter of digital dentistry, including the CEREC same-day crown system that Atrium still uses today.

His calm, down-to-earth manner makes him a natural with anxious patients and children. Outside of clinical hours, Matt donates his time and the practice facilities to The Hope Hub, providing emergency dental care for people experiencing homelessness in Surrey Heath and surrounding areas. That community work, combined with his commitment to accessible, high-quality dentistry for the whole community, earned him the Camberley Hero Award in 2022.