Dental crowns in Santa Maria are restorations that serve to protect a damaged tooth. They add strength and stability to teeth that have fractured, been treated with root canal therapy, or have advanced dental decay. A crown can help prevent the need for an extraction down the road.

What Is a Dental Crown?

What Is a Dental Crown?

A crown is a dental restoration that completely caps or encircles a tooth or dental implant. Crowns are often needed when a large cavity threatens the ongoing health of the tooth. They’re also vital to teeth with cracks because they stabilize the crack and prevent it from progressing. Dental crowns can also add structure and strength to teeth that have fractured due to trauma or decay.

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Crowns can be fabricated from a variety of materials, including:

  • Porcelain
  • Gold
  • Porcelain fused to metal (either gold or a combination of metals)

If your Santa Maria dentist recommends a dental crown, you have two options:

  • A CEREC crown, which can be prepared and delivered in one day
  • A traditional, lab-fabricated crown, which requires two separate appointments

Your dentist will review these options and let you know which fits your unique needs best.

What Happens During a Crown Preparation Appointment?

What Happens During a Crown Preparation Appointment?

First, your Santa Maria dentist will numb the tooth to ensure your complete comfort throughout the procedure.

Then, a Santa Barbara Family Dentistry dental assistant will take an impression of your tooth so we can fabricate a temporary crown later if necessary.

The next step of the process is to remove any dental decay in the tooth. Then, we’ll reduce the height and circumference of the tooth, making sure the margins around the tooth are smooth so that the crown fits securely. A secure fit ensures your comfort and helps avoid bacterial microleakage that can cause decay under the crown.

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Once your doctor is happy with the preparation, they’ll take an impression of the tooth. This impression is sent to a dental laboratory where a highly skilled technician will fabricate your custom permanent crown.

After the impression, we’ll make and place your temporary crown, cementing it with temporary cement. The temporary crown resembles your natural tooth, so no one will know you’re wearing a temporary restoration – and you can eat and speak with ease.

What Happens at a Crown
Delivery Appointment?

Once your dental crown has been crafted, we’ll remove your temporary and try on the new crown. Your Santa Maria dentist wants to ensure your crown fits well and feels comfortable.

If you have a porcelain or porcelain fused to metal/gold crown, we’ll check the shade to ensure it matches your natural dentition.

Then, we’ll check your bite. We’ll have you bite down on something that looks like carbon paper. The special articulating paper marks any high spots on the restoration. Your dentist will file down the high spots to ensure your crown is well aligned with your bite.

Once you and your dentist are satisfied with the crown’s look, feel, and fit, we’ll cement the crown onto your tooth with permanent cement.

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What Are CEREC Dental Crowns in Santa Maria?

CEREC crowns in Santa Maria are all-ceramic crowns. The CEREC system utilizes 3D CAD/CAM technology.

Instead of taking traditional impressions of the crown preparation, your dentist will take digital impressions using an intraoral camera. The information is sent to a computer program that gives the CAD/CAM machine instructions. The machine then fabricates the ceramic crown in-office, and we can fit and deliver the crown on the same day we prepare the tooth for a crown.

The benefits of CEREC crowns are:

  • They only require one visit
  • You don’t have to wait weeks to get your new crown
  • There are no messy impressions
  • You don’t have to get a temporary crown
  • The CEREC crown is metal-free
  • CEREC crowns are long-lasting
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What Happens During a
CEREC Crown Preparation Procedure?

If your Santa Maria dentist finds you’re a good candidate for CEREC crowns, they’ll prepare the tooth just as they would during a standard crown preparation procedure. The only differences are that we won’t need to take any impressions, you won’t need a temporary, and we can deliver the crown the same day. You can even watch the machine fabricating your crown while you wait.

Protect Your Teeth with Dental Crowns in Santa Maria

Dental crowns protect your teeth and are a long-lasting solution for damaged teeth. With a new dental crown, you can eat and speak with ease. Plus, the latest porcelain and ceramic materials look just as beautiful as your natural teeth.

Do you have a cracked or broken tooth?

Contact us today to learn about your restorative options, including dental crowns in Santa Maria.