Preparing for a Crown

Dr. Michael Z. Hopkins and Dr. Robert Quan take each step toward the restoration of your dental health with the the utmost care so you can be at ease.  In preparation for a crown, the first step is to anesthetize (numb) the tooth and surrounding gum tissue for a painless process. The weakened tooth will be shaved down and reshaped to fit the specific type of crown used.  If the tooth is too small to fit the crown from decay or a break, the tooth will instead be built up with filling material to ensure that it can support the crown.

A putty, paste, or a digital scanner is used to make an impression of your reshaped tooth and the tooth above it to secure your crown and prevent any impact on your bite. A dental lab will take these impressions to manufacture your crown over the course of 2-3 weeks in which your tooth will be protected by the temporary crown.  

Permanent vs Temporary Crown

A permanent crown is intended to be long lasting and can be made up of porcelain fused to metal, all resin, ceramic, or all metal, cemented by a strong bonding material.   A temporary crown is only intended to withstand the time which it is intended for, molded by an acrylic-based material or stainless steel. The cement used for temporary placement is a weaker bonding material made intentionally to easily remove and replace with the lasting bonding material needed to attach to the permanent crown.

Caring for my Temporary Crown

While waiting for your permanent crown, it's highly recommended to minimize chewing with the temporary crown and to avoid sticky foods (i.e. gum or caramel) and hard foods that could break the crown or dislodge it. You should continue to brush as you normally would, but be careful to slide your floss out from beside your crown rather than lifting up and out.  If your temporary crown comes out, there are temporary cements available at most pharmacies to reattach until your permanent crown is ready. 

When you need a crown or need assistance with an existing crown, relax and let our team at Beachfront Dentistry take care of your long-term dental health the right way. We want you to enjoy every meal again, worry-free.