Posted on: 01 March, 2025
Whether you want to repair a damaged or worn tooth or change a tooth’s size, shape or appearance, there are many reasons why your dentist might recommend getting a dental crown.
5 minute read
Placing a crown is a more complex procedure than a filling, as your custom crown needs to be skilfully designed and manufactured before it can be bonded into place, but the process is usually safe and painless when it’s provided by an experienced dentist.
Read this step-by-step guide to find out what to expect from the dental crown procedure, from your initial consultation to your final fitting and follow-up appointments. If you have more questions or want to talk to a dentist about your own crown procedure, get in touch with Mount Lawley Dental today.
A crown is a customised cap that’s shaped to fit perfectly over a tooth. Crowns can be made from porcelain, zirconia, metal, resin or other materials and matched to the shade of the surrounding teeth for a seamless finish.
If you decide to have a crown, your dentist will take a digital impression of your tooth that will be used to design your custom restoration and ensure a perfect fit. The crown will then be digitally milled from a solid block of ceramic or other material by a skilled dental technician and then carefully bonded into place by your dentist using a special cement.
Once bonded, a crown should look and function like a natural tooth and can last between 5 and 15 years on average, depending on how well you take care of it. Crowns made of metal or porcelain fused to metal are more durable than all-ceramic crowns and may be a better choice for teeth under stronger pressure, such as back molars.
Dental crowns are versatile restorations that can be used to correct many functional and cosmetic issues with teeth, or they may be used as part of another treatment. Dentists may recommend a crown to:
To be suitable for a crown, the tooth and underlying gum should be free from infection. If a problem such as gum disease or a root canal infection is present, your dentist will need to treat this as a priority before beginning your crown treatment.
While crowns can be used for aesthetic improvements, your dentist might also discuss alternative cosmetic treatments such as teeth whitening, bonding or veneers, depending on the changes you want to make to your smile.
To find out if a crown or other option would be the best solution for you, book a consultation with our Perth dentists today by calling (08) 9227 8777.
If you need a crown, your dentist will explain the treatment process, so you know exactly what to expect. Getting a crown usually involves two visits to the dental clinic.
During your first visit, your dentist will:
• Discuss your needs and treatment goals
• Examine your tooth or teeth to determine whether a crown is needed
• Check that your teeth and gums are healthy
• Ask about your medical history or other relevant factors
• Take x-rays of the tooth and surrounding jaw bone
• Prepare the tooth by removing some enamel
• Take digital impressions of the tooth that will be sent to the dental laboratory
• Fit a temporary crown until your custom crown is ready to be placed
It can take 1 to 2 weeks for a crown to be fabricated and sent to your dentist. Once it’s ready, your dentist will call you in for a second visit to:
• Remove the temporary crown and cement
• Check the fit and appearance of your final crown and make any bite adjustments needed
• Cement the crown into place over your tooth
• Explain how to care for your new restoration while it bonds and schedule your next check-up
Read more about what’s involved at each of these stages below.
1. Consultation and assessment
During your consultation, your dentist will ask about your symptoms or aesthetic concerns and discuss any relevant medical history or other factors that could affect your suitability for a crown. They will then examine the tooth or teeth to determine whether a crown would be the best approach or if there are other options to consider, and check that you’re free from problems such as gum disease that will need to be treated first.
Your dentist will then design your treatment plan to outline the process and give you all the information you need about costs, sedation, payment plans, benefits and risks so you can make a fully informed decision about treatment.
2. Taking x-rays
Your dentist will normally need to take an x-ray to check the condition of the tooth and the surrounding bone tissue in more detail and to help them plan your treatment.
3. Preparing the tooth
In order for a crown to fit perfectly over a tooth and in perfect alignment with your bite, part of the tooth’s enamel surface will need to be removed and carefully reshaped. How much filing down is needed depends on the type of crown being fitted, but generally between 0.5mm and 1mm is removed for a zirconia crown.
Before teeth are prepared, your dentist will apply a numbing gel and a local anaesthetic to numb the local area. They may also provide you with a bite block to help you keep your mouth open comfortably during the procedure. If you have dental anxiety and need a little help to relax, you may wish to discuss sedation options with your dentist such as oral sedation or intravenous sedation (known as sleep dentistry).
4. Taking impressions
Once your tooth has been prepared, your dentist will take impressions of the tooth and surrounding teeth that will be used for designing your custom crown and ensuring a perfect fit. These are typically digital impressions taken with a 3D scanner. The impressions will be sent to a local dental lab, where your crown will be custom made.
5. Temporary crown
It can take 1–2 weeks for your crown to be made and delivered to the dental clinic, so your dentist will fit a provisional crown in the meantime. Temporary crowns are made of less hard-wearing materials such as acrylic or resin and don’t look or feel as close to natural teeth as a permanent crown, but they should be suitable for protecting your tooth and avoiding complications such as sensitivity until your crown is ready. A temporary crown is cemented to ensure it stays in place while you wait for your final crown to be ready however, it is important to avoid hard or chewy foods that could dislodge a temporary crown.
6. Permanent crown
Once your final crown is ready, your dentist will call you back for a fit appointment. They will apply a numbing gel and local anaesthesia before removing your temporary crown and all of the old cement. Your dentist will then place your final crown, ensuring it looks good and feels comfortable. After making any last-minute adjustments needed, they will then bond the crown to your tooth using more cement.
Once your final crown is fitted, your dentist checks your bite to ensure your teeth come together when your mouth is closed. At times, this can require minimal filing of opposing teeth to accommodate the crown’s shape.
7. Recovery
The recovery period following a dental crown is usually short, and most people can resume their normal activities on the same day, unless they have been sedated intravenously IV sedation typically involves 24 hours for recovery.
It can take a couple of weeks to adjust to a new dental restoration. While crowns are designed to look and function like natural teeth, they may not feel exactly like one right away. Your bite may be stronger than before and the material may feel different to enamel. However, with time, the difference between your crown and your natural teeth will become less noticeable.
The gum around your treated tooth may feel sore or tender, or the treated tooth may feel sensitive to temperature, but these effects should fade in a few days to a few weeks. Over-the-counter painkillers and a cold compress should provide some relief from mild discomfort, but you should contact your dentist if these symptoms last longer or you’re experiencing anything unexpected.
Crowns require the same maintenance as natural teeth. It’s important to follow your dentist’s guidance during the healing phase and in the long term to avoid tooth wear or damage.
This includes avoiding hard or chewy foods for the first few days to avoid possibly dislodging the crown before it’s fully bonded to the tooth. Afterwards, you should take care when eating hard foods and avoid biting down on non-food objects. Crowns can sometimes last for decades with good care and depending on their material, but a damaged crown will need to be replaced.
If your reason for getting a crown is to repair damage from teeth grinding or jaw clenching, your dentist may prescribe a custom mouthguard to wear while your sleep.
Maintaining good oral hygiene with twice-daily brushing, daily flossing and limiting sugar in your diet can help to keep teeth and gums healthy. It’s also important to keep up with your regular dental visits so your dentist can check that your crown is in good condition and respond to any problems early.
If any of your teeth need crowns or other treatments, our caring and experienced dentists at Mount Lawley Dental will talk you through the process and answer all your questions to help you make the right decisions about your oral health and your smile.
Call us today on (08) 9227 8777 or book an appointment online. We see patients from all nearby areas, including Highgate, Inglewood and across North Perth.
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