How Does a Dentist Install a Crown?

Creating and installing a dental crown takes time, patience and skill. This multistep process involves examinations, tooth reshaping and final fitting to ensure a good result.

Evaluation

• Before installing a crown, the dentist must first determine whether a tooth needs a root canal or other procedure, according to Atlanta Dental Group. Only a cleaned, healthy tooth should receive a crown. If most of the patient's own natural tooth crown contains previous fillings, a new manufactured crown makes sense as the next step in restoring the tooth.

Materials

• Crowns consist of a carefully shaped metal alloy such as gold covered with an outer layer of porcelain. The underlying metal structure gives the crown extra support and stress resistance for biting and chewing. A writer on the Simplyteeth website notes, however, that some crowns may use metal or porcelain alone.

Fitting Process

• The dentist must shave the existing tooth down to a reduced size so it can receive the crown. Working from an impression of this reduced tooth, a dental lab then creates a form-fitting crown within two weeks. The dentist then performs a fitting, adjusting the crown before finally cementing it permanently onto the patient's own tooth.