Restorative
Dental Crowns
A custom cap that holds a cracked or heavily filled tooth together so you can use it again.
A crown covers the whole visible part of a tooth. It exists for one reason: to hold a weakened tooth together. Once a tooth has a large filling, a crack running through it, or has had a root canal, the walls that are left flex when you chew, and flexing is what eventually splits a tooth in half.
We make them from porcelain, zirconia or a porcelain-fused metal depending on where the tooth sits and how hard you bite there. Back teeth take more force and often want zirconia; a tooth that shows when you smile wants the material that matches best.
A split tooth often cannot be saved. Crowning one before it splits is the difference between keeping the tooth and replacing it — which is why we sometimes recommend a crown on a tooth that is not currently hurting.
Is this right for me?
- A tooth has cracked, or hurts sharply when you bite down on something specific.
- An old filling covers most of the tooth and there is more filling than tooth left.
- You have had a root canal on a back tooth and it has not been crowned yet.
What to expect
Preparation
The area is numbed, old filling and decay come out, and the tooth is shaped so the crown has room to sit without being bulky.
A digital scan
A scanner records the prepared tooth, the tooth above it and your bite. No trays of impression material unless the situation calls for it.
A temporary crown
You leave with a temporary that protects the tooth and looks reasonable. It is deliberately easy to remove, so avoid sticky food on that side.
Fitting the final crown
Two to three weeks later we try it in, check the shade and margins with you looking in a mirror, adjust the bite, and cement it.
Your comfort
The preparation appointment is the longer one, usually around ninety minutes. If lying back that long is hard on your neck or your back, tell us — we can add a support, sit you up partway through, or split the visit.
Insurance and payment, sorted before you sit down
We take all PPO plans, Medi-Cal Dental and most Medicare Advantage dental plans, and we check your benefits before treatment so the estimate is in writing. If you need to spread the cost, we work with CareCredit, Cherry and Sunbit.
Apply for financing — Cherry Avenue Office
- CareCredit®Apply online in a few minutes. Decision is usually immediate.
- CherryApply on your phone. The pre-qualification check does not affect your credit score.
- SunbitApplied for at the front desk when you come in — takes a few minutes.
Questions patients ask
How long does a crown last?
Many last well over ten years, and plenty go much longer. What usually fails is not the crown itself but the tooth or the gum underneath it, which is why we keep checking the margin at your exams.
Will anyone be able to tell?
On a front tooth, matching a single crown to the tooth beside it is the hardest thing in dentistry, and we will be honest with you about how close we expect to get before we start. On back teeth it is rarely an issue.
Do I need a root canal to get a crown?
No. Most crowned teeth never have one. A root canal is only needed if the nerve inside is infected or dying, and that is a separate question we answer with a test, not an assumption.
My temporary came off. Is that an emergency?
It is not dangerous, but call the office the same day. The prepared tooth can be sensitive, and neighboring teeth can drift enough in a few days to stop the final crown from seating properly.
What does a crown cost?
It varies with the material and what your plan covers. We check your benefits and give you the exact figure in writing before the tooth is prepared — never after.
What patients say
Always a great experience at Dr. Zamiri's office. I've gotten 2 crowns and a couple fillings along with my regular cleanings. They are always friendly, and always professional. Highly recommend.
Related services
Thinking about Dental Crowns?
Send a request and we'll call you back to find a time. You'll get a written estimate before anything is booked in the schedule.