Crowns

What to Expect During Your Crown Fabrication Appointments:

When a tooth is too damaged to be fixed with a simple filling, a dental crown (often called a "cap") is the best way to save it. A crown completely covers the visible part of the tooth, acting like a protective helmet that restores its shape, size, and strength.

Why You Might Need a Crown

Fillings are great for small holes, but they rely on the surrounding tooth to hold them in place. A crown is needed when the tooth itself needs help staying together. Common reasons include:

Large Cavities: When there isn't enough healthy tooth left to support a large filling.
Cracked or Fractured Teeth: To hold the pieces of a tooth together and prevent pain.
After a Root Canal: These teeth may become brittle and need a crown to prevent them from snapping.
Heavy Wear: To restore teeth that have been ground down over time.

The Process: Crafting Your Custom Crown

In our office, we take a traditional, high-precision approach to ensure your crown fits perfectly and lasts for years. This process typically takes two visits.

Appointment 1: Preparation and Impressions

First, the dentist ensures the tooth is comfortable and numb. They then carefully "shape" the tooth by removing a small layer of enamel from all sides. This creates space for the crown to slide over the top without looking bulky. Once the tooth is shaped, we take a PVS Impression. PVS is a high-quality, rubber-like material that captures incredible detail. We place a tray of this soft material over your teeth for a few minutes. As it sets, it creates a perfect "negative" mold of your mouth. This mold is sent to a professional dental laboratory, where a master technician hand-crafts your permanent crown to match the exact shade and shape of your surrounding teeth. Before you leave, the dentist makes you a temporary crown out of tooth-colored resin. This protects your tooth and keeps you comfortable while the lab spends the next couple of weeks making your permanent one.

Appointment 2: The Final Fit

Once your custom crown arrives back from the lab, you return for a short visit. The dentist removes the temporary crown and tries on the permanent one. We check two very important things: The Fit: Ensuring the crown sits perfectly against your gums and seals the tooth. The Bite: Making sure it meets your other teeth comfortably when you chew. After any adjustments are made, the crown is bonded into place with high-strength dental cement.