Before beginning the process of making a crown, one of the dentists here at the Dr. Marco Muñoz Cavallini International Dental Clinic will anesthetize (numb) the tooth (teeth) and the gum tissue around each.

Next, the teeth on which the crowns will be placed, are filed down along the chewing surface and along the sides to make room for the crowns.

How much of each tooth is filed down depends on the type of crown used (for instance, all-metal crowns and ceramic crowns are thinner and require less tooth structure removal than all-porcelain or porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns).

If a large area of the tooth is missing (due to decay or damage), your dentist will use filling material to “build up” the tooth to support the crown, but only if the tooth is viable and has a long life time.

After reshaping the tooth, your dentist will utilize a putty-like material to make an impression of the tooth on which the crown will be placed. Impressions of the teeth above and below the tooth where the dental crown will be placed will also be made to make sure the crown will not affect your bite.

The impressions are sent to the Clinic’s dental lab where the crown will be made. You and your dentist will have selected the shade that most closely matches the color of the neighboring teeth before sending to the lab.

In tandem with this procedure, the lab will make a temporary crown to cover and protect the prepared tooth while the crown is being made.
Temporary crowns are usually made of acrylic and held in place using temporary cement.