Same Day Crowns

Traditionally, getting a crown meant having a model of the tooth and surrounding area made using a mold and sending the impression to a dental laboratory to make it. A temporary crown is put in place while waiting a week or more for the finished crown to be sent back to the dentist's office, then returning for a second visit where the temporary is removed and the new crown is cemented into place.

Thanks to digital technology, now there's a quicker Same Day Crown option. Using computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM), crowns can be made in one office visit while the patient waits. After taking a digital scan of the mouth using an intraoral camera (think of an over-sized pen with a video camera on the end), a 3-D image of the teeth and gums appears on a computer screen. Based on the position, size, and shape of the damaged tooth, computer software suggests the ideal dimensions of the needed crown. The dentist fine-tunes the virtual restoration and sends the digital information to a "milling" machine that carves the crown out of a ceramic block, ready to be bonded to the patient's tooth. The entire process takes less than two hours.

Take advantage of this revolution in restorative dentistry! For more information on one-day crowns or to make an appointment, call Autumn Dental at (828)697-6000.