Mon to Fri from 8 AM · 5255 S 4015 W, Suite 180, Taylorsville
Southwest Dental · TaylorsvilleReady when you are.Call the office or send a request and we will find you a time. Same-day visits are held for emergencies. We speak English, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese.
A crown covers the whole visible tooth. It is the fix when a filling alone would leave the tooth too weak.Common reasons: a large cavity or old filling that has taken most of the tooth, a crack, a tooth worn down by grinding, a tooth that has had a root canal, a badly shaped or discolored tooth, and the tooth that caps a dental implant. Crowns also anchor bridges.Left alone, a weakened tooth tends to break at the worst moment, often below the gum where it is harder to save.
Materials
Porcelain, ceramic or gold.
Most crowns today are tooth-colored porcelain or zirconia, matched to the shade of your other teeth.All-ceramic crowns look most natural and suit front teeth. Zirconia is the strongest tooth-colored option and is our usual choice for molars. Porcelain fused to metal and gold crowns are still excellent for back teeth that take heavy force. The dentist recommends a material based on the tooth, your bite and your budget.
The process
Two visits, one new tooth.
At the first visit the tooth is numbed and shaped so the crown will fit over it like a thimble.A digital or putty impression captures the shape, and a temporary crown protects the tooth while the lab makes the permanent one. Two to three weeks later the temporary comes off, the new crown is checked for fit, bite and color, and it is cemented in place. The whole thing is painless and the second visit is short.Expect mild sensitivity for a few days, especially to cold.
A well-made crown that is brushed, flossed and checked twice a year commonly lasts 10 to 15 years, and often much longer.The crown itself cannot decay, but the tooth under its edge can, so floss around it every day. Avoid chewing ice, and wear a night guard if you grind. If a crown ever feels loose or comes off, keep it and call us; it can often be recemented the same day.
Where to nextRelated restorative careCrowns work alongside these treatments.
Mon to Fri from 8 AM · 5255 S 4015 W, Suite 180, Taylorsville
Questions patients ask
Crown questions
Does getting a crown hurt?No. The tooth is numbed for the shaping visit and the cementing visit is usually done without anesthetic. Some sensitivity to cold for a few days is normal.What does a crown cost?It depends on the material and your insurance, which typically covers a portion of a crown when it is needed to restore a damaged tooth. We give you the exact amount in writing before we start.Can a crown be whitened?No. Whitening works on natural enamel only. If you plan to whiten your teeth, do it first so the crown can be matched to the new shade.
Southwest Dental · TaylorsvilleReady when you are.Call the office or send a request and we will find you a time. Same-day visits are held for emergencies. We speak English, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese.
