Same-Day Crowns vs Traditional Crowns: What Newtown Patients Ask
A cracked or broken tooth brings one worry right away: how long you'll have to live with it. If you need a crown, the next question is whether it can be done today. At the Office of Robert A. Lantzy, DMD, LLC, Dr. Bob Lantzy has offered CEREC same-day crowns since 2009, and a CEREC crown is designed and placed in a single visit. Here's how a same-day crown compares with a traditional crown, and how to tell when your tooth needs one.
What is the difference between a same-day crown and a traditional crown?
A same-day crown is designed, made and placed in one visit, while a traditional crown takes two visits with a temporary crown in between. Both do the same job: a crown covers a damaged tooth to restore its normal shape and size and can make it stronger.
With a traditional crown, the dentist sends instructions to an outside dental lab, and you wear a temporary crown for two to three weeks while the lab makes the final one. Then you come back for a second appointment and get numb again to have it placed.
With CEREC, everything happens in our office. We take a digital scan of your tooth, Dr. Bob designs the crown on the computer, and our milling machine makes it while you wait. The whole visit takes about two hours.
When does a tooth need a crown instead of a filling?
A tooth usually needs a crown when too little of it is left for a filling to hold it together. A crown can strengthen a tooth with a large filling when there isn't enough natural tooth remaining, and it can protect a weak tooth or restore a broken one.
In our office, we start thinking about a crown for a back tooth when about half or more of the tooth structure is missing, often because of a large filling or a cusp that broke off. A chipped front tooth sometimes has enough structure left to rebuild with bonding. We like to save as much of your natural tooth as we can, so we move to a veneer or a crown when bonding can't do the job.
You can read more about our restorative dentistry and same-day crowns in Newtown, PA.
What happens during a same-day crown visit?
A same-day crown visit takes about two hours, and you go home with your final crown in place. Here's how the visit goes:
- You rinse to lower the bacteria in your mouth, and we numb the tooth.
- We prepare the tooth, which includes a digital scan with CEREC.
- Dr. Bob designs your crown on the computer, matching its shape and color to your tooth and to the tooth it bites against.
- The crown is milled right here in our office while you relax in the chair.
- We try the crown in, add any color staining it needs, and strengthen it in our kiln.
- We cement the crown, check that it's seated properly and polish it smooth.
Your crown is done in one appointment, which saves you a second trip and more time away from work. When patients find out their crown can be done in one visit, they're overjoyed.
Why do Newtown patients choose Dr. Lantzy for same-day crowns?
Newtown patients choose us because Dr. Bob was one of the first dentists in the Newtown area to offer CEREC same-day crowns, beginning in 2009. He has been designing crowns on the computer, chairside, ever since.
Dr. Bob also wants you to see what he sees. Before he recommends a crown, we show you your tooth with an intraoral camera and X-rays. We can enlarge the image and draw on it, so you can make an informed decision. Dr. Bob describes his approach with a phrase he uses with patients: "what am I doing and why am I doing it."
Some of our patients come to us after a friend tells them about getting a crown done in one visit.
What if my cracked tooth doesn't hurt yet?
A cracked tooth is worth having checked even before it hurts, because a crack in a tooth won't heal on its own . As we tell patients, "it's not going to get better by itself."
A cracked tooth can cause pain that comes and goes when you chew, and some cracks keep spreading. When a crack reaches the nerve, the tooth may need a root canal, and a crown helps protect the crack from spreading further.
Dr. Bob would rather catch a problem while it's small, when the fix is easier and less costly. He gives you the information and lets you decide when you're ready. "I'm not a big pushy person," he says.
How do I know what my crown will cost before we start?
We show you our fee before any work starts, and if you have insurance, we'll let you know what your plan may contribute based on what your carrier tells us. Robert A. Lantzy, DMD, LLC is out of network and keeps one fair fee schedule for every patient, researched every year.
If you have a PPO plan, you're free to choose your dentist. If you'd like a firm answer from your insurance first, we can request a predetermination, so you know the cost before we do the work. If you don't have dental insurance, ask about our in-office membership plan, which has no deductible or maximum and takes a percentage off additional treatment. Our finances and insurance page has more details.
If you have a cracked, broken or heavily filled tooth, call our Newtown dental office at (215) 860-5901 or request an appointment online. We'll show you what we see and talk through whether a same-day crown is right for your tooth.
Published by Robert A. Lantzy, DMD, LLC.
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