Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
Crown, inlay, onlay or overlay; same-day restorations from scan to fit; bite checks; and caring for a restored tooth.
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
When an onlay may be discussed for a broken filling
Many broken fillings can be replaced with a new direct filling. An onlay enters the conversation when the remaining tooth walls are thin, a cusp has broken or cracked…
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
Why food gets stuck around a crown
Food usually gets trapped around a crown because a space exists that was not there before: a contact with the neighboring tooth that is open or too light, an edge that…
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
What to ask when a crown is recommended for a cracked molar
Before agreeing, ask five things: which kind of crack it is (craze line, fractured cusp, cracked tooth, split tooth or vertical root fracture); how deep it appears to…
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
A crown does not eliminate the need to clean between teeth
Yes. The crown itself cannot decay, but the natural tooth at its edge and the root below it can, and the gum around a crown reacts to plaque exactly like any other gum…
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
What can cause a crown to chip?
A chip is usually the ceramic surface fracturing under a force it was not designed to take. Common causes are grinding or clenching, biting something hard or unexpected…
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
How a dentist evaluates an older crown
Age alone does not condemn a crown. An old crown that seals the tooth, has a healthy margin and a healthy nerve underneath is usually monitored, not replaced. The exam…
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
Why the final fit matters as much as the crown material
A crown protects the tooth only where it seals it. A well-chosen material with an open margin, a loose contact or a high bite can fail sooner than a plainer material…
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
Replacing a front-tooth crown without changing your smile
Usually yes. A replacement front crown can be designed to blend with its neighbors, but matching is planned, not automatic: shade is chosen against your natural teeth in…
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
Does every root-canal-treated tooth need a crown?
No, not every one, but many back teeth do. A root-canal-treated tooth has usually lost structure to decay, old fillings and the access opening, and back teeth take heavy…
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
How much tooth is removed for a crown?
A full crown requires the tooth to be reduced on every surface, the chewing surface and all sides, by roughly the thickness of the material that will cover it, so a…
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
Porcelain and zirconia crowns: comparing the questions that matter
"Porcelain" and "zirconia" are both ceramics, and the useful comparison is not which is better but which properties the tooth needs. Glass-ceramics, what most people…
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
Why crown color matching can be harder for one front tooth
A single front crown has to match a living neighbor that is layered, translucent and changes with light, dryness and whitening, and it has no twin to hide beside. A…
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
A temporary crown fell off: what to tell your dental office
A lost temporary crown is usually not an emergency, but it should not wait long. The temporary protects the shaped tooth from sensitivity and decay and holds the space…
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
What is a dental crown margin?
The margin is the thin line where the edge of the crown meets the natural tooth, usually near the gum. The goal is a closed, smooth junction that the toothbrush and…
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
Crown repair versus crown replacement
A small chip in the porcelain with a closed margin and a healthy tooth underneath can often be smoothed or patched with bonded composite. Replacement is usually…
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
Can a crown be reused after it comes loose?
Often yes. A crown that is intact can usually be cleaned and recemented when the tooth underneath is sound and its shape has not changed. It usually cannot be reused…
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
Can you whiten a crown to match your teeth? What usually has to happen instead
No. Whitening works by letting peroxide pass into enamel and dentin and break down pigment inside a natural tooth. Porcelain, ceramic and most composite do not respond…
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
How your dentist checks the bite on a new crown, and what to say during the check
Before a new crown is final, the dentist usually checks three things in order: that it seats fully onto the tooth, that the contacts with neighboring teeth are snug but…
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
Why a new crown can feel different from your natural tooth, and when to call
A new crown often feels different for a while, and that alone is not a sign something went wrong. Its chewing surface, the points where it touches the neighboring teeth…
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
Can a tooth under a crown still get a cavity?
Yes. The crown itself cannot decay, because ceramic and metal are not tooth tissue, but the natural tooth it sits on can. The most vulnerable spot is the margin, the…
- Crowns, onlays and same-day restorations
A Same-Day Crown Appointment: What Happens From Scan to Fit
A same-day crown compresses the usual two-visit process into one appointment. After the tooth is numbed and shaped, a digital scanner records it in place of a putty…