Do I Need One?

When you've lost a tooth, it only makes sense to replace it with a restoration that looks and functions like a natural tooth. A traditional crown does just that and is often referred to as a "cap" because it fits over an existing tooth like a hat covers a head. Traditionally, this prosthetic was made in a dental lab with impressions taken of your teeth and sent to the lab for the fabrication of the porcelain or metal cap. An indirect restoration required at least two visits to complete.

A dental crown is a restoration that fits over the top of a damaged tooth. Its purpose is to restore a tooth's function and appearance. Crowns are used most often to restore teeth affected by decay or trauma. This restoration can be made from a variety of materials, including gold, porcelain, or zirconia. Porcelain crowns are popular because they can be tinted to match surrounding teeth. That makes them an excellent choice for front teeth. Zirconia offers the strength of metal-free dentistry. It is also durable and translucent, so it won't show a dark line at the gumline. Gold is still a good choice for back teeth because it is the most durable option available. Gold is also an effective material to use for molars because it can withstand the biting pressure that is applied to them.

However, today's modern dentistry allows us to fabricate your permanent crown right in your San Jose dentists's office while you wait! That means no temporaries – you won't have to wear a temporary while your final crown is fabricated at the dental lab.

Your dentist will take a digital scan of your prepared tooth using a special intraoral scanner. The digital impression is sent to a 3D printer in the office, where your crown will be created out of ceramic in about fifteen minutes or less! Then, your dentist will permanently bond it to your natural tooth. You'll walk out of your appointment with a new temporary crown to wear until your next visit, where the permanent crown will be bonded into your mouth.

Traditional vs. CEREC®

Both traditional crowns and CEREC® restorations are made from a high-quality ceramic material that mimics the natural appearance of teeth. However, unlike traditional crowns that must be fabricated in a laboratory and then cemented to the tooth in a separate procedure, CEREC® crowns are milled right in the dentist's office using advanced digital imaging and milling technology.

This means that patients can get their permanent crowns placed during a single appointment, eliminating the need for a temporary crown and a second visit to the dentist's office. The convenience factor is a major benefit to choosing CEREC® over a traditional metal or porcelain-fused-to-metal crown. In addition, the ceramic material used to create CEREC® crowns matches the color of the patient's natural teeth to ensure a seamless aesthetic effect.

Patients who are interested in CEREC® restorations should discuss these treatment options with their dentist to determine which method best suits their needs and lifestyles. Call us to learn more.

What are the Advantages of choosing Crowns?

• Crowns can be customized to mimic the same aesthetics of natural teeth.
• Their durability is quite similar to that of the enamel, which increases their longevity. Even after many years, crowns would be as good as new, provided you care for them well.
• Crowns can be used for multiple purposes, both aesthetic and functional.
• Crowns can be fabricated and bonded to the teeth in just two visits to the dentist's practice. If the dentist has CEREC, they can be finished in a single visit.
• They allow you to bite and chew food as you always used to without worrying about the tooth sustaining any damage.
• They offer excellent sealing properties, thus protecting the tooth structure underneath from microbial infections.

How are Crowns placed?

When you visit us for the first consultation, our dentist will conduct a thorough diagnosis of the teeth and understand the severity of your oral condition. We will take X-rays to get a better view of the tooth and underlying root canal and tooth root. Once your candidacy for the crown is confirmed, we will prepare you for the treatment.

The dentist will grind a layer of enamel from the tooth to make space for the restoration. Next, a highly precise digital scan will be taken, used to create a digital impression of the tooth, and shared with a dental laboratory. Here, it will be used as a reference for fabricating the crown, which may take a couple of weeks. During this, we will place a temporary crown on the tooth to protect the prepared surface.

During the next visit, we will place the fabricated crown on your tooth and check for fit and comfort. If the crown's contour has to be altered slightly to make it fit better, we will make the changes. The tooth surface will be cleaned and etched with an etching solution so that the crown can adhere to it and not get displaced. We use photosensitive dental adhesives to bond the crown to the tooth, after which it will be hardened using a curing light. We will check for an optimum bite again and polish the crown.

Schedule an online appointment or call our dental practice to have a consultation with our Dentist in San Jose CA at Varni Dental, and we'll guide you further.