When a tooth needs a crown, most offices send you home with a temporary and a follow-up appointment two or three weeks later. In our Kentfield office, we do it differently. With CEREC same-day technology, Dr. Soroush Ghaffarpour can scan, design, mill and bond a custom ceramic crown while you wait — so patients from Kentfield, Greenbrae, Ross and across Marin can come in with a damaged tooth and often leave the same afternoon with a finished, natural-looking restoration that's already back to work.
What is a same-day CEREC crown?
A crown is a custom "cap" that covers and protects a tooth weakened by a large cavity, a crack, a fracture, a failing old filling, or a root canal. It restores the tooth's strength, shape and appearance so you can bite and chew normally again. CEREC — short for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics — is the technology that lets us make that crown on-site, in one appointment, instead of sending it out to an off-site lab.
The real difference is the workflow. A traditional crown means a putty impression, a two-to-three-week lab turnaround, a temporary crown to wear in the meantime, and a second visit to cement the final piece — often with a fresh shot of anesthetic each time. With CEREC, a digital scanner captures your tooth in minutes, software designs the restoration on screen, and an in-office mill carves it from a solid block of high-strength ceramic, all in the same appointment. No goopy molds, no temporary to come loose on a cracker, and no second trip across Marin. In most cases you leave with the final crown bonded in place that same day.
How we do same-day crowns at Kentfield Dental
Same-day crowns only work well when the whole digital chain lives under one roof — and at our Kentfield practice, it does. We use a Primescan 2 scanner to capture your tooth without impression putty, design the crown chairside, then mill and finish it in-office with a Primemill mill and a SpeedFire furnace that strengthens and glazes the ceramic in minutes. Because Dr. Ghaffarpour designs every restoration himself with an aesthetics-first eye, the crown is shaped and shaded to blend with your neighboring teeth rather than just fill a gap. It's the same boutique, conservative approach that has defined this Kentfield practice through Dr. John Herschleb's 47-year legacy — now paired with technology many offices simply don't have in the building.
- Primescan 2 digital scanner — a fast, accurate scan replaces the gag-inducing impression tray
- Primemill in-office mill — carves your crown from a solid ceramic block while you relax in the chair
- SpeedFire furnace — strengthens and glazes the ceramic on-site in minutes, so it's often ready to bond the same day
- Designed in-house by Dr. G — shade- and shape-matched to your smile, not outsourced to a distant lab
- MouthWatch intraoral camera — we show you the cracked or worn tooth on screen before we recommend anything
- Spanish-speaking care and comfort options for anxious patients, in an unhurried boutique setting
Why patients choose us for this
One visit, not three
The scan, design, milling and bonding can all happen in a single appointment — typically no temporary crown and no second trip back to Kentfield weeks later.
No goopy impressions
A digital scan replaces the messy putty tray, which is faster, more comfortable and far easier if you have a sensitive gag reflex.
A natural, aesthetic result
Each crown is milled from tooth-colored ceramic and designed by Dr. G to match the shape and shade of your other teeth for a result that blends in.
Strong, durable ceramic
Modern milled ceramic crowns are designed to restore full chewing strength, and a well-cared-for crown can often last 15 to 20 years or more.
Less time numb, fewer needles
Because everything happens in one sitting, you're typically anesthetized once instead of at two separate visits.
A conservative, tooth-preserving approach
Precise digital design lets us preserve as much healthy tooth structure as possible — in keeping with our conservative philosophy.
What to expect
Exam, digital scan and design
We numb the tooth, gently shape it, then capture it with the Primescan 2 scanner — no impression putty. Dr. G designs your crown on screen, fine-tuning the fit, bite and contours right there with you.
Milling and finishing in-office
The design is sent to our Primemill mill, which carves the crown from a ceramic block in minutes. It's then strengthened and glazed in the SpeedFire furnace — all without leaving the office.
Try-in, bonding and you're done
We check the fit and color, make any small adjustments, and bond the finished crown to your tooth. In most cases you leave the same day with a functional, natural-looking crown — no temporary and no follow-up cementing visit.
Your comfort matters. Because the entire crown is typically completed in one appointment, you're usually numbed only once instead of at two separate visits, and there's no temporary crown to cause sensitivity. We offer comfort options and a calm, unhurried boutique setting for anxious patients, with Spanish-speaking care available.
Is a same-day crown right for you?
Same-day CEREC crowns are an excellent fit for most teeth that need the strength and protection of a full crown. During your visit, Dr. Ghaffarpour reviews the tooth with you on our intraoral camera and confirms whether a single-visit crown is the right call — some complex cases, certain bridges, or specific cosmetic situations may be better served by a lab-fabricated restoration, and we'll tell you honestly if that's the case.
- You have a cracked, broken or heavily worn tooth that needs full coverage
- A large old filling is failing and the tooth needs more protection than another filling can give
- Your tooth has had a root canal and now needs to be crowned to help prevent fracture
- You want to avoid a temporary crown and a separate second appointment
- You're an out-of-town or busy Marin professional who'd rather get it done in one trip
Frequently asked questions
Yes, in most cases. With CEREC technology in our Kentfield office, we design, mill and bond most crowns in a single visit. You come in with a damaged tooth and can often leave the same day with the finished crown in place — no temporary and no second appointment.
Most same-day crown visits take about one and a half to two hours from start to finish. That includes preparing the tooth, scanning it, designing the crown, milling it in-office, and bonding the final restoration — you can often run an errand nearby in Kentfield or Greenbrae while it mills.
For most teeth, yes. CEREC crowns are milled from high-strength ceramic and designed with precise digital scans, so they're made for comparable durability and a natural look to traditional lab crowns. For certain complex or cosmetic cases, Dr. G may still recommend a lab-made restoration and will explain why.
We numb the tooth thoroughly before we begin, so the procedure itself is designed to be comfortable. Because everything is completed in one visit, you're typically anesthetized only once instead of at two separate appointments, and we offer comfort options for anxious patients.
With good oral hygiene and regular checkups, a well-made ceramic crown can often last 15 to 20 years or more. Avoiding habits like chewing ice or grinding — or wearing a nightguard if you grind — helps your crown last as long as possible.
In most cases, yes — a CEREC crown is billed as a standard crown, so dental plans typically cover it the same way they would a traditional crown. We're a fee-for-service, out-of-network practice, and our Kentfield team will help you understand your benefits and handle the claim paperwork on your behalf.
No, that's one of the biggest advantages. Because your final crown is made and bonded the same day, there's usually no temporary crown to wear, come loose, or cause sensitivity while you wait for a lab.