What To Expect the Day of Dental Crown Placement

Getting a dental crown is a routine procedure. Not only does it require minimal preparation on the patient’s part, but there is also little to no downtime after the crown placement. Still, knowing what to expect when getting a dental crown can calm your nerves for the appointment.

Why dental crowns?

General dentists use dental crowns to restore functionality to damaged teeth, whether from tooth decay or chips and cracks in the enamel. More specifically, they will recommend a crown when the damage is too severe to be restored with a filling. Dentists may also use crowns to support a dental bridge, a tooth replacement solution that uses one or two crowns as anchors for a false tooth.

How crown type affects the appointment

The dental crown type will influence the entire process. This is because a key distinction between various types of crowns is whether they are same-day or multi-day crowns. Take a look at the differences between the two below.

Same-day crowns

According to the Cleveland Clinic, same-day crowns are porcelain crowns made in the office with a computer and milling machine. The patient can expect to walk out with their permanent crown on the day of the first appointment.

Multi-day crowns

On the other hand, as per Healthline, multi-day crowns require at least two appointments. The first is to take impressions of the tooth before having an off-site dental lab create the crown, which may be porcelain, metal, or porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM). The dentist will then place a temporary composite resin crown on the tooth. Once the permanent crown is ready in about one to two weeks, the patient will return for a second appointment to have the temporary crown replaced with the permanent one.

Getting a dental crown: What else to know

Here is what else patients should know about the process of having a dental crown placed to prepare themselves best:

Preparing the tooth

Preparing the tooth for dental crown placement requires removing some of its outer layers on the day of the appointment. For pain management, the dentist can administer a local anesthetic to numb the area. They can also use a topical numbing agent on the gums to help make the anesthetic injection more comfortable.

Regardless of crown type, the dentist will take impressions during the first appointment. They may also examine the color of the other teeth to match the crown.

The procedure

Once the tooth has been prepared, the general dentist will check how the permanent dental crown fits, examining its shape, size, and color. If the patient is satisfied, they will then cement it into place.

Symptoms to expect

It is normal for the tooth to feel sensitive right after dental crown placement. The mouth may also feel strange until the anesthetic wears off. Therefore, while patients can return to school or work after the appointment, many schedule it toward the end of the day so they can rest after.

Dental crown aftercare

On the day of the appointment, avoid chewing directly with the dental crown. Also, brush and floss around the crown gently. Patients should be able to return to their regular diet and oral hygiene habits the day after crown placement.