What Steps are Involved in Preparing a Tooth for a Crown by Beverly Hills Cosmetic Dentistry?

Preparing a tooth for a crown usually requires two visits - the first step involves examining and preparing the tooth, the second visit involves placement of the permanent crown. • Examining and preparing the tooth. At the first visit, your dentist may take a few x-rays to check the roots of the tooth receiving the crown and surrounding bone. If the tooth has extensive decay or if there is a risk of infection or injury to the tooth's pulp, a root canal treatment may first be performed. Before the process of making your crown is begun, your dentist will anesthetize your tooth and the gum tissue around the tooth. Next, the tooth receiving the crown is filed down along the chewing surface and sides to make room for the crown. The amount removed depends on the type of crown used (for instance, all-metal crowns are thinner, requiring less tooth structure removal than all-porcelain or porcelain-fused-to-metal ones). If, on the other hand, a large area of the tooth is missing (due to decay ...