Is Anesthesia Required for Dental Crowns?

Dental crowns are necessary in situations when permanent teeth are damaged and need to be covered. They may also be used as an anchor to support a dental bridge. This twofold procedure requires anesthesia to be used both during the filing of the original tooth and when fitting the permanent crown.

What to Expect

• A crown insertion is done over two different visits. Anesthesia is provided during the initial visit when the tooth receiving the crown is ground up, creating a core space. The second visit involves administering an anesthetic before permanently cementing the crown in place over the core.

Benefits

• Without the use of anesthesia during the initial grinding of the tooth, the process would be unbearably painful. Anesthesia ensures that you do not feel the pain of the procedure.

Effects

• The effects felt from the anesthesia vary; however, because only a local anesthetic is generally used, the worst effect should be a numb sensation in the mouth after the procedure.

Warning

• Because the mouth will be fairly numb after the procedure, it is best to avoid chewing until the crown cement has set and the numbness has worn off.

Time Frame

• Anesthesia effects last four to six hours following the procedure, although most people find these effects wear off after the first few hours.