About Dental Crowns
A crown is a custom cap that covers the entire visible portion of a tooth, restoring its shape, strength and appearance. Dentists recommend crowns when a tooth has lost too much structure for a filling to hold: a large cavity, a crack, a fracture from an accident, heavy wear from grinding, or a tooth weakened by root canal treatment. A well-made crown lets you chew normally again, protects the remaining tooth from splitting, and looks like it belongs.
At Regency Dental Group most crowns are all-ceramic or porcelain. These materials reflect light the way enamel does and are matched to the shade of your neighboring teeth, so there is no gray edge at the gumline that older porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are known for. For most single crowns we use our CEREC system to design and mill the crown in the office in a single visit. For cases that call for a laboratory, such as some highly esthetic front teeth or multi-unit work, we take a digital scan and place a temporary while a dental lab fabricates the final crown, usually within two weeks.
Crowns are also the visible part of two other restorations: a dental bridge, which uses crowns on neighboring teeth to hold a replacement tooth, and a dental implant, where a crown is attached to a titanium post in the jaw. Understanding crowns helps you understand the options we may discuss for a missing tooth.
The decision between a large filling and a crown is one we make with you, not for you. Dr. Carter will show you the tooth on the intraoral camera, explain how much healthy structure remains, and give you his honest assessment of how each option is likely to hold up over the next decade. A crown costs more than a filling up front, but on the right tooth it prevents a fracture that could otherwise mean a root canal or an extraction.
Benefits
- Protects cracked, worn or heavily filled teeth from breaking
- Metal-free ceramic with no dark line at the gum
- Most single crowns completed in one visit with CEREC
- Shade-matched to your natural teeth
- Restores full chewing function
Is it right for you?
Patients with a cracked tooth, a tooth with a large or failing filling, a tooth that has had a root canal, significant wear from grinding, or a broken tooth from injury. Crowns are also used to improve the shape or color of a tooth that cannot be corrected with bonding or a veneer. If a tooth has too little structure or the root is fractured, an extraction with an implant or bridge may be the better long-term choice, and we will say so plainly.
What happens, step by step
-
Exam and X-ray to confirm the tooth can be crowned
-
Numbing, removal of decay and old filling material, and a buildup if needed
-
Shaping the tooth and taking a digital scan
-
Same-day milling with CEREC, or a temporary while a lab fabricates the crown
-
Fit check, bite adjustment and permanent cementation or bonding
What to expect at your visit
A same-day CEREC crown takes about two hours in one visit. A lab-fabricated crown takes two visits: about 90 minutes for preparation, scanning and a temporary, then a shorter delivery appointment two weeks later. Either way, the tooth is fully numbed and the procedure is comfortable. Mild sensitivity and gum tenderness for a few days afterward are normal. You can eat normally once the numbness wears off; with a temporary, avoid sticky and very hard foods until the final crown is placed.
Why choose Regency Dental Group
Dr. Carter has placed crowns for Vacaville families for years and offers both same-day CEREC ceramics and laboratory crowns, so the choice is driven by what the tooth needs rather than what the office happens to have. He designs CEREC crowns personally and adjusts each restoration until the bite is comfortable. Our office is in network with Delta Dental of California, Cigna, MetLife and Dental Benefit Providers, provides written estimates before treatment, and offers CareCredit for larger plans. If you are nervous about a longer appointment, oral sedation is available.
Aftercare
Brush twice daily and floss around the crown, sliding the floss out sideways rather than snapping it up if you have a temporary. Avoid chewing ice or very hard candy. If the crown feels high when you bite, call us for a quick adjustment. Keep regular checkups so we can monitor the margin where crown meets tooth.
Cost, insurance and timing
Crowns are typically covered as a major service, often at 50 percent after your deductible, with annual maximums that may affect timing if you need several. We verify your benefits and quote the fee in writing before we begin. Occasionally, once decay is removed, a tooth is found to need a root canal first; we tell you right away if that changes the plan or the cost.
Frequently asked questions
How long do dental crowns last?
Ceramic crowns commonly last ten to fifteen years or more with good care. Grinding, decay at the margin and hard foods are the main things that shorten their life.
Does getting a crown hurt?
The tooth is numbed, so the procedure is comfortable. Some sensitivity for a few days afterward is normal.
What is the difference between a crown and a veneer?
A crown covers the whole tooth for strength. A veneer covers only the front surface for appearance. Crowns are for damaged teeth; veneers are for healthy teeth that need a cosmetic change.
Can a crowned tooth still get a cavity?
Yes, at the edge where the crown meets the tooth. That is why brushing at the gumline and regular checkups matter.
The information on this page is general education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. Outcomes vary by patient. Please schedule an exam to discuss your specific situation.