One of the most common things I hear from new patients is some variation of: “I just needed a crown, so I went to whoever took my insurance.”
I understand the reasoning. Insurance makes certain offices seem cheaper. And a crown sounds like a commodity — one licensed dentist doing the same procedure as another. Why would it matter?
It matters enormously.
When you get a crown, it’s often not made in the dental office. More on same-day, in-office crowns here → It’s sent to a dental laboratory where a ceramist crafts it to the specifications your dentist provides. Here’s what most patients don’t know: there are labs in the United States and labs overseas, and many offices routinely send crowns abroad to be made for a fraction of the cost. And every lab is very different from another. As in everything produced in life there is bad, good, better, and best.
The result? Crowns that don’t fit quite right. Crowns that chip. Crowns that don’t look like natural teeth. And crowns you’ll be replacing sooner than you should.
At our practice, we use what we believe is the best dental lab in the world — and it’s made in the USA. We will never compromise on this.
Going to dental school doesn’t make someone a skilled dentist, just like going to art school doesn’t make someone a good artist. True clinical precision is a rare combination of natural ability, relentless practice, and a perfectionist mindset.
Dr. Boren was fortunate to graduate #1 in clinical skills in his dental class at Creighton University, and He’s spent 30+ years refining those skills further. But beyond credentials, it’s attitude. The willingness to redo something that isn’t quite right, even when a patient wouldn’t notice — that’s what separates good work from great work.
Poor dental work is insidious. It often looks fine for a year or two. By the time problems appear, patients have moved on and don’t connect the issue to what was done years ago. That’s how low-quality dental offices continue operating without consequence.
A single crown done right is far less expensive than two or three crowns done poorly. When you’re evaluating your options, you’re not buying a commodity. You’re buying skill, different levels of quality in materials, different ethics, good-better and best, and the long-term health of your teeth.
Choose accordingly.
Same-day crowns (often made with in-office technology like CEREC) can be truly fantastic—especially when convenience is key. They’re ideal for patients with upcoming travel, those coming from out of town, or anyone who wants to avoid multiple visits and temporary crowns.
That said, there’s an important distinction to consider between crowns milled in a dental office (which might produce just a handful each month) and those crafted by a dedicated professional dental lab that specializes in crowns day in and day out.
Labs invest in the latest high-end equipment and update it regularly because their high volume allows a quick return on investment. This enables superior precision in every step—from material selection and layering to final polishing and customization. The result is often the absolute peak in aesthetics, fit, strength, and longevity, particularly for more complex cases or when specific materials (like certain porcelain-fused-to-metal or advanced zirconia options) are needed.
In contrast, same-day systems involve significant upfront costs for advanced milling machines. To make the investment worthwhile, offices must produce a high volume of crowns, which can mean relying on equipment for longer periods before upgrades—potentially leading to slightly less cutting-edge results over time.
In short: Same-day crowns are a tremendous blessing in the right situations—offering speed, precision digital impressions, no temporaries, and reliable long-term performance (often comparable to lab crowns in straightforward cases). We offer them here when they best suit your needs.
However, whenever possible, we lean toward the professional lab approach. Over the years, we’ve seen the real-world benefits in superior beauty, marginal integrity, durability, and patient satisfaction. Our goal is always the highest-quality restoration that lasts and looks natural for as long as possible.
