Dental Crowns in Ontario, CA

Cracked, decayed, or worn-down teeth can make previously simple tasks, like eating and speaking, difficult and even painful. When it comes to treating your dental problem, preserving your natural tooth is our first goal. With dental crowns, we can restore the structure and function of your damaged or decayed tooth to prevent further harm.

What Are Dental Crowns?

Dental crowns are custom-made prosthetics that fit over damaged teeth to restore their function and appearance. Sometimes called “caps,” crowns cover the entire exposed surface of the tooth.

Dental Crowns Cosmetic Dentist in Ontario CA Esparza Dentistry

Dental crowns are recommended to:

  • Preserve a cracked or broken tooth
  • Support a tooth with a large filling
  • Strengthen weak or worn-down teeth
  • Protect a tooth after root canal therapy
  • Cover a significantly stained tooth

If a tooth is lost or extracted, we use crowns to cover a mini dental implant, secure a bridge, or bolster the support teeth for a partial denture.

Are You A Good Candidate for Dental Crowns?

You may be a good candidate for a dental crown if you need to repair and restore a decayed, fractured, or weak tooth. At your free consultation, we’ll ask about your medical history, the medications you take, and your oral hygiene practices. We’ll also determine the condition of your teeth by taking X-rays and conducting a dental exam. With this information, we can work with you to determine a treatment course that aligns with your dental goals and budget. We will gladly discuss our flexible financing options to help you access the quality care you need.

Prevent Further Damage with a Dental Crown

Worn, cracked, and decayed teeth cannot repair themselves. If left untreated, your damaged tooth can worsen, requiring more-invasive procedures or corrective surgery.

Worn-down teeth can split, cracked teeth can break further, and decayed teeth may become infected. Capping your affected tooth with a dental crown can help you avoid root canal therapy and even tooth extraction.

Delaying treatment can cost you time and money in the long run. With same-day crowns at Esparza Dentistry, we can quickly fix your damaged tooth and prevent further issues from arising.

Same-Day Dental Crowns

At other practices, getting a dental crown requires multiple appointments. Esparza Dentistry uses CEREC technology to create your custom ceramic crown in-house. You won’t need to wait weeks for an off-site dental lab to create your restoration or wear a temporary crown. Instead, you can expect your entire appointment to last between one and two hours.

What Is a CEREC Machine?

CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramic) is a revolutionary technology that uses computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing to create chairside dental restorations. Research has touted this system, noting its ability to create aesthetically-pleasing and reliable restorations while minimizing patient costs and discomfort.

With our in-office CEREC machine, we can create and place dental crowns under one roof.

There are many exciting benefits of CEREC-created crowns, such as:

  • Efficiency and convenience: CEREC crowns can be made right in our office in a single visit, saving you from taking multiple days off work or school to have your crown prepared and placed.
  • Digital impressions: We use a special camera to take pictures of your teeth rather than the messy dental putty typically used for impressions.
  • No temporary crowns: Usually, impressions are sent to an off-site dental lab where your restoration is built in a few weeks. In this scenario, you must wear a temporary crown while waiting for the lab to create your custom restoration. Our on-site CEREC technology eliminates the need for a temporary crown.
  • Precise restorations: Your custom crown will fit you perfectly due to the incredible precision of the 3D scanner and milling machine. As a result, your crown will create a tight seal around your tooth to keep bacteria out.
  • Natural appearance: The ceramic material comes in different shades, allowing us to match the crown to the color of your natural teeth. Unlike metal crowns which are noticeable even if they are on back molars, your CEREC crown will blend in naturally.

What To Expect At Your Appointment

To prepare you for your crown, we’ll shape the affected tooth by removing some enamel or building up the tooth with a filling material. Depending on your specific situation, local anesthesia may be used to numb the area. The goal is to adjust the tooth’s shape to create a perfect fit for the crown.

At Esparza Dentistry, there’s no need for messy impression trays: we take impressions of your teeth digitally with an Omnicam, a hand-held intraoral camera. The CEREC software generates a digital 3D model of your teeth based on the camera images. We’ll then select a ceramic block that matches the shade of your natural teeth so that the restoration blends in seamlessly with your smile. The milling machine creates your customized crown using the design specifications from the 3D impressions. Our in-office machine can immediately sculpt, glaze, and polish custom crowns in about 15 minutes.

Once your restoration is made, we’ll place the crown and check its shape and fit. The crown is then bonded to your tooth with durable dental cement. You’ll leave the office with a brand-new customized crown.

Our practice values quality, timely care so our patients can quickly resume their daily activities. You won’t have to wait the usual two to three weeks for a dental lab to fabricate your crown. At Esparza Dentistry, same-day dental crowns are possible with CEREC technology, allowing you to leave the office with instant results.

Recovery and Aftercare

Patients are sometimes surprised to learn that they can resume their normal daily activities immediately after we place their crown. After your appointment, you may experience some tenderness or sensitivity, especially to heat and cold. However, this is normal and will lessen in a few days. If needed, over-the-counter pain medications like ibuprofen can curb discomfort.

How Long Does a Crown Last?

At Esparza Dentistry, we never compromise quality for convenience. Just because your crown is made quickly doesn’t mean it won’t last. While CEREC crowns are made in 15 minutes, they can last for 15 years, thanks to the durable ceramic material.

Caring for Dental Crowns

Properly caring for dental crowns is the same as properly caring for your natural teeth. An effective oral hygiene routine includes:Dental Crowns Cosmetic Dentist in Ontario CA Esparza Dentistry

  • Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristle brush
  • Flossing daily
  • Using antibacterial mouthwash
  • Wearing a mouth guard while playing sports or a night guard while sleeping if you grind your teeth at night
  • Scheduling routine dental checkups

While ceramic crowns mimic the strength of your natural teeth, certain foods can cause premature damage. Avoiding particularly hard or sticky foods and candies can help extend the life of your crown.

Are CEREC crowns more expensive than lab-milled crowns?

Many factors contribute to the cost of dental restorations, but generally, CEREC crowns are comparable in price to lab-milled crowns. Though the machine itself is high-tech, CEREC crowns reduce costs because patients don’t need a temporary crown or multiple appointments, and we don’t have to pay off-site technicians, all of which increase costs. At your free consultation, we will determine if a CEREC crown addresses your dental needs and discuss treatment costs.

If you have dental insurance, you should check your policy to review what procedures it covers. When medically necessary, insurance plans typically cover some of the cost of dental crowns. Although crowns improve the appearance of damaged teeth, their main purpose is restorative rather than cosmetic. Still, insurance plans range in coverage, so we recommend speaking with your provider if you are unsure about your benefits. We are also happy to review our various flexible financing options at your free consultation.

At Esparza Dentistry, we believe that everyone should have access to affordable and reliable dental care.

Same-Day Dental Crowns Are Possible at Esparza Dentistry

If you are struggling with cracked, broken, weak, or decayed teeth, we can help. You don’t have to wait weeks to restore function to your bite. We offer convenient same-day dental crowns to help our patients eat, speak, and smile confidently. With pioneering CEREC technology, we can mend your damaged tooth in just one visit.

Schedule a free consultation today to learn more about same-day dental crowns at Esparza Dentistry.