Same Day Crowns in Huntersville

A crown is a protective covering, sometimes called a cap, that is placed over a tooth. Dental crowns can be made of porcelain or metal, but porcelain is the most common type because it resembles natural tooth enamel. A tooth may need a crown if it has too much decay or damage to be restored with a filling. A crown is often placed over a tooth after a root canal.

Same day crowns, as their name suggests, are crowns you can have placed in just one appointment. Depending on the timing of your appointment, you may need to have your crown placed the following day. Either way you avoid the typical 2-3 week waiting period between taking impressions and receiving your crown because the crown is created on site at your dentist’s office rather than in a distant lab.

Same Day Crowns have many benefits: 

• Save time. Same day crowns allow you to save time. You won’t have as many appointments to drive to, you won’t have to miss as much work or school, and you won’t have to wait as long to get your permanent crown. 
  
• Save money. Same day crowns save you money in a variety of ways including using less gas driving to the dentist’s office, fewer appointments to pay for, and it eliminates the cost of a temporary crown. A crown also costs less than replacing the tooth with a bridge or implant. 

• Save your natural tooth. The biggest benefit of a crown in general is that it allows your natural tooth and root to remain in place in your mouth. It will look and function like a natural tooth.

The process for same day crowns consists of the following steps: 

1. Imaging. Digital impressions are made of the tooth receiving the crown and the surrounding teeth. These images are used to create your crown so that it fits properly and looks natural.

2. Preparing the tooth. Decay is removed and the tooth enamel is reduced to make room for the crown.

3. Impressions. Another set of impressions is taken to create an accurately sized crown.

4. Creating the crown. The crown is created according to the impressions in an in-office lab.

5. Fitting the crown. The crown is put in place. If it fits properly it will be permanently cemented into place. If not, adjustments will be made right away and it will be refitted until it looks and feels right.

The criteria to be an ideal candidate for a same day crown is no different from that of a traditional crown. You must first have a tooth that requires a crown and for which a crown would be an effective restorative procedure. If the tooth needs a root canal, that procedure will need to be completed first. 

Not every dental practice offers same day crowns. CEREC technology is required in order for dental crowns to be created in our office. The Smile Architects have made it a priority to offer this technology to our patients to save you time and money. We no longer have the cost of laboratory services to factor in, allowing us to reduce the overall cost to our patients.