Crowns

Crowns are a cosmetic restoration used to strengthen a tooth or improve its shape. They are most often used for teeth that are broken, worn, or partially destroyed by tooth decay.

We offer two options for crowns in our office. Most of our crowns are milled on our state-of-the-art CEREC® one-day crown acquisition and milling unit. If special aesthetic or occlusion issues exist, we will involve an outside dental laboratory technician.

Crowns are “cemented” onto an existing tooth and fully cover the portion of your tooth above the gum line. In effect, the crown becomes your tooth’s new outer surface.

Crowns can be made of porcelain, metal, or both. Porcelain crowns are preferred because they mimic the translucency of natural teeth and are very strong.

Crowns or onlays (partial crowns) are needed when there is insufficient tooth strength to hold a filling. Unlike fillings, which apply the restorative material directly into your mouth, a crown is fabricated away from your mouth.

The laboratory technician will create your unique tooth impression, which allows our laboratory technician to examine all facets of your bite and jaw movements. Your crown is then sculpted just for you so your bite and jaw movements function normally once the crown is placed.