Crowns

A dental crown is a covering made in a dental laboratory to replace teeth that are chipped, discolored, broken, decayed or misaligned.

A crown can be used to replace one tooth or multiple teeth. Crowns are a great cosmetic dentistry option that renders natural results.

The Procedure

A crown procedure typically is completed in two dental visits, but the use of new technology has enabled some dentists to offer same-day service for crowns.

The procedure begins with a dentist applying a local anesthetic to the area before grinding or buffing the tooth to about 25 percent of its original size. This process enables the dentist to fit the crown snugly at the gum and protect what remains of the natural tooth.

Once the preparatory work to the tooth is completed, an impression is made, using a putty-like substance. The patient bites down on the substance, holds that position momentarily, then releases the bite. The impression is sent to a dental laboratory, which makes a plaster cast from it. It typically takes about two weeks for the permanent crown to be made. However, if your dentist has a ceramic milling machine on-site, the process can be completed in one day.

The milling machine is connected to a camera, which takes an optical impression of the tooth. The machine uses this image to craft the porcelain crown from a block of dental ceramic.

Dentists going the dental laboratory route to craft the crown will provide a temporary crown, typically made of plastic or a thin sheet of metal, to wear until the permanent crown is placed.

The second appointment involves making a series of minor adjustments to get the crown seated properly, securely and in a manner that doesn’t change the patient’s bite. The final step is to seal the crown into place with cement.