Dental crowns

What steps are involved in preparing a tooth for a crown?

Preparing a tooth for a crown usually requires two visits to the denist the first step involves examining and preparing the tooth, the second visit involves placement of the permanent crown.

First Visit: Examining and preparing the tooth.

At the first visit in preparation for a crown, your dentist may take a few X-rays to check the health of the roots of the tooth receiving the crown and the surrounding bone. If the tooth has extensive decay or if there is a risk of infection or injury to the tooth's pulp, a root canal treatment may first be performed.

Before the process of making your crown begins, your dentist will anaesthetise (numb) your tooth and the gum tissue around the tooth. Next, the tooth receiving the crown is filed down along the chewing surface and sides to make room for the crown. The amount removed depends on the type of crown used (for instance, all-metal crowns are thinner, requiring less tooth structure removal than all-porcelain or porcelain-fused-to-metal ones). If, on the other hand, a large area of the tooth is missing (due to decay or damage), your dentist will use filling material to "build up" the tooth to support the crown.

After reshaping the tooth, your dentist will use impression paste or putty to make an impression of the tooth to receive the crown. Impressions of the teeth above and below the tooth to receive the dental crown will also be made to make sure that the crown will not affect your bite.

The impressions are sent to a dental laboratory where the crown will be manufactured. The crown is usually returned to your dentist’s surgery in two to three weeks. If your crown is made of porcelain, your dentist will also select the shade that most closely matches the colour of the neighbouring teeth. During this first visit your dentist will make a temporary crown to cover and protect the prepared tooth while the crown is being made. Temporary crowns are usually made of acrylic and are held in place using a temporary cement.

Second visit: Receiving the permanent dental crown.

At your second visit, your dentist will remove your temporary crown and check the fit and colour of the permanent crown. If everything is acceptable, a local anaesthetic may be used to numb the tooth and the new crown is permanently cemented in place.