If your tooth is damaged, severely decayed, or a candidate for a root canal, you might need a dental crown. Dental crowns, sometimes called caps, allow you to reclaim the function and beauty of your smile.
Many people, however, cringe at the thought of a multiple-step process that requires several appointments, messy impressions, and a temporary crown.
Dr. Roberto Palmieri, accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, wants you to know that crowns play a pivotal role in supporting your oral health, but that traditional crowns aren’t your only option. We provide same day crowns in our Mooresville, North Carolina, office.
Below, Dr. Palmieri shares four benefits of choosing same day crown treatment over the traditional process.
In the not-so-distant past, getting a dental crown was a multi-day process. Before you could receive a crown, your provider would make physical impressions of your teeth. These impressions were sent to a lab, where technicians used the impressions to mill your crown.
Then, the lab would mail your crown back to the dentist. Not only did this mean you’d have multiple appointments, but the back and forth mailing process could add weeks to your timeline.
With same day crowns, there’s no need to send an impression to a lab. We use cutting-edge technology to create the impressions and the crown itself. Thanks to 3D digital scans and a CAD-CAM machine, your crown can be produced in just minutes right here in our office.
Before a crown can be seated, your tooth must be prepared. This means that part of your tooth is trimmed, which creates a base for your crown.
While your tooth still needs to be trimmed if you have a same day crown, less of your tooth is removed. This has the added bonus of making your tooth stronger and more durable.
Without 3D scanning, the only way to get an impression of your tooth is with impression material.
When using impression material, such as alginate, the material is mixed and inserted into your mouth. The material hardens after a minute or two, creating the impression of your teeth. This process doesn’t hurt, but it can be messy and uncomfortable.
For those with a strong gag reflex, the process can be more unpleasant.
Same day crowns don’t require impressions like these because they rely on digital scans instead.
What happens if you opt for a traditional crown? While you wait for your crown to be fabricated, you need a temporary crown. Typically, these are held in place with dental putty, and they often don’t fit as well as a permanent crown.
Temporary crowns may fall out or break easily, especially if you chew hard or sticky foods.
But when your tooth is prepped and the crown seated on the same day, a temporary crown isn’t needed.
To learn more about same day crowns, call our office or book your appointment online.
