Dental Crowns

Crowns are restorations that are often referred to as caps, and they encase part or all of the tooth surface, restoring it to its original color, shape, and size. A crown protects and strengthens the remaining tooth structure and is often used in larger areas when a filling or other type of restoration is not appropriate.

There are several types of crown materials but porcelain crowns are the most popular because they are made to match the shape, size, and color or your teeth, giving you a natural, long-lasting beautiful smile. Porcelain crowns are highly durable and will last many years but, like most dental restorations, they may eventually need to be replaced.

The CEREC Crown Difference

In many dental offices, a crown procedure requires two visits that begin with taking an impression and then sending the lab for fabrication of the permanent crown.  Approximately two weeks later, the porcelain crown is then placed over the tooth. This process is expensive and time-consuming, but we have a better way.

At Petrone Family Dentistry, we use a Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics Machine, most commonly referred to as a CEREC machine. This resource allows Dr. Petrone to fabricate your crown in the office so that your entire crown procedure requires only one visit. With this system, we take a digital image of your teeth rather than having to rely on the uncomfortable process of taking an impression. Once the image is captured, Dr. Petrone uses the CEREC to color match the porcelain to your natural teeth and crafts the crown to precisely fit over your existing tooth.

Over 95% of the crowns Dr. Petrone uses are made in the office. A two-day procedure will be necessary if we cannot capture a good image of the tooth or if a metal crown is required.

Reasons for Dental Crowns

Dr. Petrone may recommend a crown for many reasons, which may include:

• Broken or fractured teeth;
• Cosmetic enhancement;
• Decayed teeth;
• Fractured fillings;
• Large fillings; and
• Tooth has a root canal.

Types of Dental Crowns

There are many types of crowns and the best one for your needs will depend on the reason for the crown. Types of crowns are:

• These are very thin and most often used for cosmetic purposes.
• These are placed between the cusps of the teeth and usually used when a cavity is too large for a simple filling.
• These are more than an inlay but less than a crown. It covers part of the cusp of the tooth but not all of it.
• Full Crowns. These are often viewed as more of a replacement of a tooth rather than a repair. They cover nearly all of the tooth and are reserved for more serious situations.
• Implant Crown. These are used for teeth that are missing due to damage, accident or removal. In these situations, crowns are placed over an implant in the jaw to fully replace the missing teeth.

Dr. Petrone will recommend the best type of crown that meets your needs.

The Crown Procedure

Your treatment begins when we use the intraoral scanner to take photos of your teeth and create a digital impression. This impression is sent to the CAD/CAM software machine that creates a digital tooth restoration image. Once all of the images are taken, Dr. Petrone will numb the tooth and prepare it for the crown.  This process includes removing any decay and shaping the surface to properly fit the crown.  After the tooth is prepped, the final digital image is taken of the prepped tooth and then the crown is designed on the CEREC machine.  When the restoration design is complete, it is sent to the milling machine, which mills the physical crown out of a ceramic block.  The ceramic blocks come in many different shades, and the proper shade will be chosen that will match the shade of your natural teeth. This entire process takes about 15 minutes.

After the crown is milled, one of our assistants will try in the crown, take an x-ray and verify that the crown properly covers the tooth.  The crown is then stained with any necessary characteristics to match adjacent teeth and then baked for about another 15 minutes.  After the crown is cooled, Dr. Petrone will then cement the crown. The spacing of the crown and your bite will be checked to assure that everything fits well and is properly placed and finally the crown is polished.

We will provide you with care instructions and encourage you to have regular dental visits to check your new crown.