One visit, about two hours, no temporary crown. Here is what actually happens in the chair.
A same-day crown appointment at Santa Clara Family Dental takes about two hours. Your tooth is numbed and prepared, scanned with a small camera instead of putty impressions, the crown is designed on screen and milled from a ceramic block in the office, then bonded before you leave. No temporary crown and no second visit.
Most patients who need a crown have put it off. A filling has cracked, a corner of a back tooth has broken away, or a tooth has had a root canal and needs protecting. Knowing exactly what the appointment involves makes it far easier to book. Here it is, step by step.
Dr. Sajid numbs the area fully before she starts. The damaged part of the tooth and any old filling are removed, and the tooth is shaped so the crown can sit over it. This feels like having a filling done.
Instead of a tray of putty, a small camera captures the tooth and your bite in three dimensions. It takes a few minutes and there is nothing to gag on — this is the step patients who dreaded old-style impressions like most.
The crown is designed on screen against your actual bite — its shape, the contours, and how it meets the teeth beside it and opposite it. You can watch if you are curious.
A solid block of dental ceramic, chosen to match your shade, is milled into your crown in the office. This is the waiting part of the visit. Most patients read, listen to something or answer email.
The crown is tried in, the fit and bite are checked and adjusted, the shade is characterised and glazed to match the teeth around it, and then it is bonded permanently. You leave with the finished tooth.
For back teeth, almost always. For front teeth in a demanding cosmetic case, a crown hand-layered by a lab ceramist can sometimes give a more lifelike translucency — when that is the better result, Dr. Sajid will say so and it takes two visits. And if a bonded filling or onlay would save more of your own tooth than a crown, that is what she will recommend.
Insurance: a crown is a crown as far as your PPO plan is concerned — coverage is the same whether it is milled here or made in a lab. We verify your benefits and tell you your portion before we start.
Read more about CEREC one-visit crowns, or call (408) 241-4111 to book.
Same-day crown appointments take about two hours. Ask the front desk for a morning slot.
Request Appointment (408) 241-4111Same-week appointments are often available. Most dental insurances accepted, with flexible payment plans for patients without insurance.