How long does a crown last?

Many last a decade or more. The main things that shorten that are decay at the edge of the crown and heavy clenching, both of which are manageable if we know about them.

Will it match my other teeth?

That is what the shade matching at the first visit is for. Your crown is built to sit next to your own teeth without announcing itself.

Do I need a crown after a root canal?

Usually, yes, especially on a back tooth. A root canal removes the blood supply inside the tooth, and without it the tooth becomes brittle over time and far more likely to fracture. The crown is what stops that.

Dental Crowns

Dental Crowns in Kearny Mesa

Holding a tooth together.

Call (858) 256-4838 Text (858) 256-4838

At a glance

What it is: A custom cap that covers and protects a damaged tooth.
Where: Kearny Mesa Smile Center, 8018 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92111.
When: Fridays and Saturdays, 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
Made: In a dental laboratory, to your measurements.
Visits: Two.

Some Teeth CannotBe Patched Again

A filling replaces part of a tooth and relies on the rest of it for strength. There is a point past which there is not enough tooth left to rely on.

A tooth that has cracked, that has had a root canal, or that carries a large old restoration is under more load than it can take. It does not fail gradually. It fails one afternoon, on something ordinary, and by then the fracture often runs below the gum, where it cannot be repaired.

A crown covers the whole tooth and holds it together, so that day does not come.

How Dental Crowns Work

01. Preparing the tooth. The tooth is numbed and shaped so the crown can sit over it.
02. Records. We take a scan or an impression, plus the shade of your neighboring teeth, so the crown matches what is beside it.
03. A temporary. You leave with a temporary crown in place. You will not have a gap.
04. The laboratory. A dental lab builds your crown to those measurements, with the shape and characterization that make it look like a tooth.
05. Fitting. At the second visit the crown is fitted, the bite is checked and adjusted, and it is cemented in place.

When A CrownIs The Right Call

A crown is usually right after a root canal, after a fracture, when a very large old filling is failing, or when a tooth is worn down enough that it is losing height.

If a filling would still hold, Dr. Cortes will place a filling. A crown removes more tooth structure than a filling does, so it is not the answer to every problem, and it is not offered as one.