Single Visit Crowns
Crowns allow us to restore a tooth that is badly damaged from decay, cracks, or fracture. Every crown is custom fabricated by a skilled technician to fit over your tooth.
Most crowns that we make are all ceramic (like porcelain) due to the material’s life-like appearance. Many of our patients cannot tell the difference between a porcelain crown and their natural tooth. The cost for a single visit crown is the same as a traditional crown.
The vast majority of our crowns can be made in one visit using CEREC Primescan technology, which is the most advanced and up-to-date technology available today.
Here’s how we make a single visit crown (also known as a same day crown):
- Numb the tooth to remove decay and repair lost structure
- Re-sculpt the tooth to provide room for a naturally-shaped crown
- Digitally scan your tooth and your bite
- Fabricate the crown in office. It takes about an hour and a half to make your crown. So we invite our patients to do what makes them most comfortable. Run a quick errand, or tip back and relax.
- Cement the crown in place.
- There is no need for a second visit.
Some of the advantages of single visit crowns are:
- You do not need to be numbed a second time
- Our patients save time by not needing a second appointment
- You do not need a temporary crown
It is important to maintain regular follow-up visits and brush and floss regularly to maintain the appearance and health of a crown. Properly cared for, crowns can last a lifetime.
Our Warranty for Crowns and Bridges
Dental Insurance will pay to replace a crown after five to seven years, so they expect a crown to break down before then. We expect the overwhelming majority of crowns that we create to last and function for at least 20 years for our loyal patients who see us regularly for ongoing preventive checkups. But, we still feel that providing a limited warranty makes sense—especially for our patients without dental insurance.
Our warranty on our fixed dental crowns and bridges is for as long as we are in business, and is subject to the following conditions and exclusions:
You must remain a patient of our practice and maintain a schedule of regular (every 6 months) cleanings and bitewings so we can ensure that your entire mouth remains healthy.
- For the first 5 years, we will repair or replace a crown or bridge at no additional cost for either material or labor if there is a failure of the restoration.
- Failure due to abuse or neglect is excluded. Abuse or neglect can include, but is not limited to: chewing ice, removing bottle caps with your teeth, opening packages with your teeth, sports injuries, falls, and vehicle accidents.
- If a restoration must be removed or damaged to repair a dental problem related to the tooth on which it is placed, the warranty does not apply. (e.g. when the tooth later needs a root canal beneath a crown or if you develop decay on the teeth that support a fixed dental bridge, not related to a defect in the bridge material or structure)
Cleaning and Care
We ask you to wait until your lips and cheeks feel normal before you try to eat. This can take a few hours.
Permanent crowns can be treated like a normal tooth. Brush and floss these like a normal tooth and maintain regular dental check ups.
The crown materials that we use are the same as the lab fabricated all ceramic crowns.
A same visit CEREC crown costs the same as a traditional crown. We do not charge an extra fee.
When there is sufficient tooth structure to provide enough strength, a filling is an excellent option.
However, when there is not enough viable tooth structure to retain the filling, it is likely to break sooner than you or I would be okay with. In these cases, a crown will serve much longer and is more economical in the long run.
