Getting a Crown (Cap): Tooth Preparation, the Temporary and the Final Fit
If your dentist has recommended a crown, you probably want to know what the visits involve before the first one. What follows is the general order of events.
What a crown is
A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that restores a decayed, broken, weak or worn-down tooth, and dentists also use crowns to cover dental implants and root canal-treated teeth. A crown fits over the entire tooth, and a small amount of enamel is removed before it is bonded in place (Cleveland Clinic).
This article does not cover what crowns are made of. Companion articles cover what crowns are and crown materials.
Preparing the tooth
To prepare your tooth for a crown, the dentist needs to remove some of your natural enamel, and may also use a filling material to build up certain parts of the tooth (Cleveland Clinic).
The temporary crown and the wait
It usually takes two to three weeks — sometimes longer — for a dental lab to make a new crown, and while you wait on the final crown, your dentist will place a temporary one. Temporary crowns are usually made of resin or acrylic (Cleveland Clinic).
Same-day crowns
The main advantage of CAD/CAM technology is that you can get a dental crown in just one office visit, and same-day crowns aren't for everyone (Cleveland Clinic). That is a general description of the technology; it is not a statement about what any particular office offers.
How long a crown lasts
Crowns last between five and 15 years with proper care (Cleveland Clinic).
Where to go next
Our office is at 147 Main St, 2nd Floor, Lodi, NJ 07644, and Dr. Steven Liao is our dentist. If you are not yet a patient, the next step is our first-visit page.
Sources
- Cleveland Clinic. "Dental Crowns." Updated 2023-04-14. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/10923-dental-crowns
