A quick overview of a Crown appointment at Heidi Sprowls DDS

At a dental crown appointment, you can expect us to place topical anesthetic and to numb the affected tooth with local anesthetic, take an impression to make a temporary later in the appointment. We will then remove the decayed portion using a drill, clean any broken area of the tooth, then fill any void with a build-up/filling material, which will be hardened with a special light if needed, and finally polish the tooth to smooth any rough edges. We will then scan for your crown or in some cases take a second impression, make a temporary crown using the first impression, and adjust the temporary; your mouth will likely remain numb for a few hours after the procedure. Sensitivity afterwards can be normal, but should be quick and only for a limited amount of time. For the shade/color of crown, we will use a shade guide to match teeth as best as possible. For anterior/front teeth we may recommend doing a custom shade, which would require you to visit the local lab at some point after your appointment. With the temporary crown please avoid any hard or sticky foods to avoid breaking or pulling off the temporary crown. We will have you come back in a just over a week up to two weeks to cement the final crown.

Time expected for the appointment:

One crown: 1 1/2 hours- 2 hours

Two crowns: 2 hours- 2 1/2 hours

Multiple Crowns: Call office for a more accurate timeframe

What to expect after a Crown:

Numbness: Your mouth will likely remain numb for a few hours after the procedure.

Irritated Gums: If your gums are irritated, swish salt water rinse (8 oz. of warm water with a teaspoon of salt).

Sensitivity: You may experience some temporary sensitivity to pressure and hot and cold foods and drinks, but this should be quick sensitivity.

Things to let us know about:

Temporary crown breaks or comes off: You can try tooth paste if it comes off in a pinch or just call our office.

Does your bite feel off once numbing wears off? We may ask you to come in to check the crowns alignment and make adjustments if needed.

Pain waking you up or coming out of the blue? Let us know this is not normal.

Key steps during a dental crown appointment:

Heidi Sprowls DDS will inspect the tooth and take X-rays (if we don’t already have them).

Numbing: We will place topical anesthetic, then use local anesthetic in the area of the crown we are doing.

Impression for temporary: We will take an impression of the tooth to allow us to make a temporary crown at the end of the appointment

Tooth Preparation: Heidi Sprowls DDS will remove any decay or damage, and prepare the tooth to create space for the crown. The amount of preparation depends on the type of crown.

Scan: We will take scan your teeth or in rare cases take impressions of your teeth, including the tooth being crowned, the surrounding teeth, and the gums.

Shade/Color: We will match using shade guide, for front teeth we may require you to visit lab for a custom shade.

Temporary crown: We will make temporary crown from the first impression, we will adjust it and temporarily cement it. Please avoid crunchy and sticky foods. If temporary crown comes off you can use toothpaste in a pinch, or call the office.

Return for the final crown in 1-2 weeks

At your second appointment, your we will remove the temporary crown, check the fit of the new crown visually and with an x-ray, and cement it in place.