Some dental offices advertise “New Teeth in a Day!” However, when it comes to dental crowns, the procedure usually takes a minimum of two appointments – more if there are more serious dental health issues such as root canal or gum disease.

Step 1: The Checkup
Obviously, before proceeding with any dental procedure, the dentists will want to ensure that the underlying structure is basically sound. X-rays will be made of the tooth or teeth to receive dental crowns. Any decay or risk of infection must first be treated and eliminated before dental crowns are put in place.

Step 2: Preparing the Tooth
Once it has been established that the damaged tooth is otherwise healthy, the actual operation can begin. You will be administered a local anesthetic such as Novocain to numb the tooth and the surrounding gum tissue. The dentist then uses precision tools (today these are usually lasers) in order to file the tooth down. Depending on the extent of the damage and the type of crown to be placed, the amount of tooth material removed can vary; however, by the time this part of the job is finished, the tooth will resemble a small peg. Alternatively, if the tooth has been subject to a great deal of damage and there is little of the original tooth left, the dentist may use bonding materials to reconstruct the tooth to the point that it is able to support a crown.

Step 3: Impressions
Once the tooth has been reshaped, a special type of putty is used to make an impression. This impression will serve as a guide for the lab technicians who will create the final crown. Since few dental offices have such on-site facilities, this crown is usually made at an outside laboratory and the process may take anywhere from one to three weeks. In the meantime, the dentist will fit you with a temporary crown made from acrylic material.

Step 4: Living With a Temporary Crown
Those awaiting permanent dental crowns must deal with a bit of inconvenience for the duration. Chewing gum and sticky, chewy candy such as caramels won’t be an option, as these could pull the temporary crown loose. Since these temporary dental crowns are also less durable than the permanent kind, you’ll want to avoid chewing food on that side of the mouth, and focus on soft foods such as potatoes and well-cooked fish, eggs or poultry – avoid tougher foods such as raw carrots and celery or apples.

Finally, brush gently, yet thoroughly, and pull floss through and out rather than up between teeth.