Restorative Dentistry
Dental Crowns
A custom porcelain cover that lets a worn or cracked tooth work like new.
What this is, in plain language
A crown is a custom cap that fits over a tooth the way a thimble fits over a fingertip. It restores the tooth's full shape and strength when a filling would not be enough: after a large cavity, a crack, a root canal, or years of gradual wear. Once cemented in place, a crown works and feels like a natural tooth, and you care for it the same way.
Getting a crown takes two visits. At the first, Dr. Holt numbs the area, gently reshapes the tooth to make room for the crown, and takes a digital scan (no trays of putty). You leave with a comfortable temporary crown while a ceramist crafts the final one from durable porcelain, matched to the exact shade of your neighboring teeth.
At Willow Lane, we treat that match as craft, not paperwork. We photograph your smile in natural light, note the subtle color variations in your enamel, and work with a local lab we trust. When your crown returns, we check the fit and your bite carefully before bonding it in place. Most patients stop thinking about the tooth within a few days, which is the point.
This might be right for you if
- A tooth of mine cracked and my dentist says a filling will not hold
- I have an old, large filling that keeps chipping at the edges
- I just finished a root canal and need the tooth protected
- One tooth is worn much shorter than the others
- I have an old crown that looks dark or gray at the gumline
What to expect
A crown is made over two visits and matched by hand to your other teeth. The process involves:
- An exam and image to confirm a crown is the right repair
- The tooth reshaped under full numbing to make room for the porcelain
- A digital scan of the prepared tooth, with no impression trays
- A comfortable, tooth-colored temporary crown to wear for two to three weeks
- A final fitting where the fit, bite, and shade are refined before bonding
How it unfolds, step by step
Exam and planning
Dr. Holt examines the tooth, takes an image, and confirms a crown is the right repair, not something smaller. She walks you through the plan and the timeline before anything begins.
Preparing the tooth
With the area fully numb, the tooth is reshaped to make room for the crown. Most patients describe this visit as long but uneventful. It takes about an hour of quiet, steady work.
Digital scan
A small wand captures a precise 3D image of the prepared tooth in a few minutes. No impression trays, no gagging, no mess. The scan goes straight to our ceramist.
Temporary crown
You wear a smooth, tooth-colored temporary for two to three weeks while the final crown is made. It looks fine and works fine, you just avoid very sticky foods.
Fitting the final crown
We remove the temporary, try in the porcelain crown, and adjust the fit and bite until it feels like nothing at all. Then it is bonded permanently. This visit often needs no numbing.
Caring for it afterward
A crown is cared for much like a natural tooth, and a few habits help it last well:
- Brush and floss daily, paying attention to the gumline where the crown meets the tooth
- Expect mild temperature sensitivity for a few days, which settles on its own
- Avoid chewing ice or very hard foods that can crack porcelain
- Wear a nightguard if you grind, to protect the crown and the tooth beneath
- If a temporary comes loose before the final visit, call us and we recement it the same day
Questions everyone asks
The tooth and surrounding gum are fully numbed before any work begins, so the preparation visit feels like pressure and vibration, not pain. Afterward, the tooth may be mildly sensitive to temperature for a few days. Most patients manage with nothing more than an over-the-counter pain reliever, if that.
A well-made porcelain crown typically lasts 10 to 15 years, and many last longer. Daily brushing, flossing along the gumline, and regular checkups are what stretch that lifespan. If you grind your teeth at night, a nightguard protects the investment.
Yes. We take shade photographs in natural light and note the small variations in your enamel, then our ceramist builds those details into the porcelain. The goal is a crown nobody can pick out of your smile, including you.
It is a smooth, tooth-colored placeholder that protects the prepared tooth for two to three weeks. You can eat and speak normally with it. We simply ask you to avoid very sticky or chewy foods, which can pull it loose. If it does come loose, we recement it the same day.
A filling patches a portion of a tooth; a crown protects all of it. When a crack runs through a tooth or more than about half the tooth is filling material, a filling can no longer hold things together. Dr. Holt will show you the tooth on screen and explain exactly why she is recommending one over the other.
Often explored together
Wondering if dental crowns is right for you?
Bring us the question. A conversation costs nothing and you will leave with a straight answer either way.