Dental Crowns and Onlays

Dental crowns, often referred to as caps, are restorations that we place over a tooth that has been damaged or broken to protect it and support it. Placing a crown can save your tooth and help avoid the need for extraction and replacement. Onlays are used to repair teeth that are chipped or cracked but need less restorative treatment than a crown provides.

The first step is prepping your tooth by removing any decay and shaping the tooth to support a crown or onlay. Sometimes, there is not enough tooth left after removing the decay to support a crown. If this is the case, the dentist will do a crown buildup. The buildup is made of composite material and is similar to a tooth colored filling. The crown buildup will strengthen the remaining tooth structure and provide support for the dental cap.

After prepping the tooth, an impression for the crown or onlay is taken. This can be a digital impression or taken with impression material depending on the situation. The impression is then used to make a crown or onlay in the office or at a dental lab. If made at a dental lab, the dentist will make a temporary crown to protect the tooth until the permanent dental cap is made.

The final step is cementing the new crown or onlay. If you had a temporary cap, the dentist will remove the temporary first and clean off any cement. The new crown or onlay will then be placed over your prepped tooth. After removing any extra cement, the dentist will check your bite and adjust your occlusion, how your teeth fit together, to make sure your new crown or onlay fits perfectly. The dentist may take an x-ray to make sure edges of the crown or onlay, called margins, are "closed" so they will not let any bacteria or food particles in. Any excess cement will also be cleaned up.

Same Day Crowns and Onlays

It can be difficult to get time off from work to come in to get your teeth fixed. That is why Associates of Dental Arts is proud to offer same day crowns and onlays. Using our state-of-the-art technology, we are able to prep and take a digital scan of your tooth. Our CEREC machine uses this scan to "mill" your crown or onlay. Our doctor will then seat the crown and adjust the bite. No second appointments, no going weeks with a temporary crown, no coming back when the lab rejects an impression, just an immediate solution to your tooth pain.