Same-Day Crowns – A Modern Approach

Are you self-conscious about your smile?

Maybe you’ve noticed a broken or chipped tooth?

A dental crown is one of the best options to:

• Protect your tooth
• Restore functionality
• Improve your smile

Originally, this tried-and-true procedure would include two or three visits over several weeks.

You would visit your dentist, they would prepare the tooth, and then wait while the prosthetic crown is fabricated in a dental laboratory.

This traditional procedure also requires a temporary crown to be worn while the dental lab fabricates the crown

This process works well, yes, but it also takes a while to complete. And we all know how frustrating it is to wait for something.

But what if there was a way to avoid going back and forth for multiple appointments?

What if you could complete the entire procedure in a single visit?

Well, now there is, thanks to modern technology.

The advantages of same-day crowns

We mill our crowns in-office, which creates numerous benefits for the patient:

• Save Time and Money: No need for the inconvenience of additional visits!
• Precision and Comfort: Instead of traditional impressions, we use digital imaging to create a perfect fit.
• No Temporaries: “Same-Visit” means you leave the office with your new crown – not a temporary stand-in.
• Natural Looking: Your new crown is color-matched to your natural teeth and nearly indistinguishable from its neighbors.
• Strong: Zirconia ceramic crowns are designed to last for years, and is easier for us to replace your crown with same-day crown equipment.

Six steps to a same-visit crown

The same-visit crown process reduces the time required for fitting a crown into a single dental appointment. Here’s what to expect:

The exam and screening

When a patient complains about toothache, a cracked tooth, or pain in the gum, the dentist will evaluate the extent of the problem.

The exam allows for a thorough diagnosis and patient screening. Crowns aren’t always the solution – fillings and dental bonding can help with many dental issues. We’ll work with you to make sure you’re getting the right treatment.

If we determine that a crown is the best course of action based on your oral health, we’ll start to develop a treatment plan.

Treatment and preparation

Depending on the tooth’s condition, we will remove any infected, weak, or damaged dental tissue and any old restoration.

Next is replacing any infected, weak, damaged dental tissue with a build-up that creates the foundation for the dental crown. For this, we remove a layer of enamel to make room for the crown. Removing the enamel also roughens the tooth’s surface, providing a better bonding surface for the crown.

Intraoral scanning

Your dentist will create a digital image of your mouth, capturing the unique shape of your prepared tooth.

This is all connected to a computer with specialized design software, which then processes the intraoral scans and feeds them into the modeling module of our milling machine.

Modeling and design

Your dentist will use our same-visit milling machine and intraoral scans to create a 3D model of your tooth or teeth. They’ll then design a crown that fits perfectly over the prepared tooth.

A major advantage of this process is that you can preview what your teeth will look like before the crowns are even made. Then,  you can request adjustments, which can be incorporated into the design.

The making of a smile

The final design is sent to the milling machine after making any adjustments. Like a 3D printer, the milling unit will use the design to mill a crown from a suitable ceramic block.

Fitting

Lastly, your dentist will use dental adhesive/cement to bond your new crown to the tooth. Your new tooth is ready to go – and in just one appointment!

Two machines – double the service

At Amato Dental Group, we have not one but two Fastmill.IO milling devices, which means we can simultaneously process more than one tooth crown.

Both machines can create a precise crown milled from a single block of porcelain from digital images in around 40 minutes. This means you can get multiple crowns done in a fraction of the time!

How to take care of your dental crown

Immediately after treatment, remember to take things slow. Any numbness from the anesthetic will take a few hours to wear off.

You may need a couple of days to adjust to the new crown, but after that, you won’t even notice it’s there. And neither will anyone else!

Best foods to eat after getting a same-visit crown

After your new same-visit crown is fitted, there are specific foods for you to eat that will not damage the crown.

Here is a suggested list of foods to help.

• Smoothies and Shakes
  Shakes can take the place of a smoothie if you don’t like them.
• Noodles and Pasta
  The idea is to keep the food you consume from damaging the crown. Softer foods like noodles and pasta are best after getting a crown.
• Eggs and Dairy
  These foods are often soft and thus reduce friction on the teeth.
• Soups and Stews
  Warm soups and stews are excellent options after this dental procedure.

Foods to avoid after getting a crown

You should avoid these specific foods for at least one to two weeks after getting a dental crown.

• Cold foods and Ice
  People should avoid cold foods and frozen desserts after getting a tooth crown, as these can be damaging and uncomfortable.
• Hard fruits and veggies
  It is best to cook vegetables until they are soft and avoid crunchy fruits.
• Nuts and grains
  Grains have small particles that could get under the crown and cause further tooth decay.
• Chewy and hard candy
  You should also avoid gum for several days. Sticky candies are also damaging to crowns.
• Dried fruits and raisins
  You must avoid these food items for at least a month after this procedure.

Put the crowning glory into your smile in one dental visit

The Amato Dental Group same-visit BruxZir® crowns are a suitable course of treatment for the patient on the go. We all feel the pressures of the modern world.

Balancing work and private life can be difficult enough. Contact us to arrange your new tooth in just one visit today.

Or:

• Call us at: (206) 626-5400
• Email us at: hello@amatodentalgroup.com

Amato Dental Group is located in Seattle, WA. and proudly serves surrounding communities, including Downtown Seattle, First Hill, Capitol Hill, Central District, Mt. Baker, Madrona, Madison Park, Mercer Island, Kirkland, Bellevue, Redmond, and University District.