If too much of a tooth’s visible structure is decayed, damaged, discolored or if a treated tooth has become too brittle to withstand the normal stresses of chewing food, a porcelain crown or cap can be made for a natural-looking restoration of the tooth’s form and function. Porcelain is more bio-compatible than metal crowns, it is less heat or cold conductile, and it increases the strength of the remaining tooth structure. In fact, a porcelain crown may be stronger in structure than the original tooth.

Same-day dentistry. If a crown is required for a premolar or molar, most often we can create and place that crown here in the office in one visit. We use new advanced E4D technology that allows us to take scans of the teeth that have been prepared for crowns, create a 3D model of a custom crown and produce it right here in the office. Then it will be seated in place. Single crowns may take us a little over an hour (if you have visited us before and all the necessary diagnostics has been done). More crowns would require more time, but still this is the fastest and most convenient way in dentistry right now to create and place crowns in one appointment.

If several crowns are required or the crowns will be placed on the anterior teeth (your incisors and cuspids), more planning is needed. Dr. Gotun wants you to have the most natural-looking and beautiful smile possible, so he will consult with you on the shape and length of the crowns, ask you to bring in photos or clippings of smiles you like, and consider the contour of your gums. A wax-up representation of the crowns will be made so that the ultimate color and appearance of the crowns can be seen, and if necessary, corrected. Once the plans have been made, and you are happy with the design, the teeth will be shaped and provisional crowns put into place for about 3-6 months.

It is important to distinguish between different types of crowns: permanent, temporary and provisional. When a tooth is shaped for a crown, you may need a temporary crown as a placeholder until the laboratory can manufacture your permanent crown. A provisional crown is used for treatment purposes. Before permanent crowns are seated, provisional crowns allow us to see how your own individual healing process resolves. They allow us to see if there will be gum recession and if the permanent crowns need to be adjusted for that to make sure you get the most seamless natural look with your permanent crowns. If you have TMD (Temporomandibular disorder), the provisional crowns help us learn about how your teeth will function with permanent restorations and allows us fine-tune them for the best, most comfortable and long-lasting result. Provisional crowns also give us a much more accurate idea of the cosmetic outcome of your new crowns, allow us to make sure you are still happy with the new look and give us a chance to gauge how you tolerate changes in your bite. Any final corrections to the permanent crowns will be made before they are manufactured by our outside lab. This takes about 3-4 weeks. When the crowns are ready, a final appointment is scheduled so that the provisional/ temporary crowns can be removed and the permanent ones seated in place. Large restoration cases require extremely precise and comprehensive work and we are meticulous with every detail, as we want to ensure that the investment into your smile will make you happy, will look natural, last for a long time, will not cause any new dental problems, and finally will truly change your life for the better.