Your New Dental Crown Costs & Procedures Associates With Your New Crown

Temporary crowns are used to protect a tooth that has been prepared for a permanent crown while the patient waits for the permanent crown to be fabricated by the dental lab. The prepped tooth must be covered for these various reasons:

• If left uncovered the patient would experience oral pain and sensitivity.
• The temporary crown also prevents shifting and over erupting of the prepped tooth during the waiting period.
• A prepped tooth, without a temporary, would be unsightly and leave the patient unhappy.
• The temporary crown will also prevent food from packing in the newly prepped tooth and make it easier to keep the area clean, thus avoiding damage to the periodontal tissues.

 

How Is a Temporary Dental Crown Made?

A temporary crown is made by the dental auxiliary (Assistant or Hygienist). Here are the steps associated with making a dental crown:

1. First an impression of the prepped tooth and opposing teeth is made.
2. Using the impression, a plaster mold is made.
3. The temporary crown is typically made out of chemical cure composite from the plaster mold. Some older practices will use pre-made aluminum temporary crowns.
4. After the Temporary is made, it is cemented onto the prepped tooth with a soft, easily removable cement.
5. The patient bites down on the crown and the cement sets up to hold it in place.
6. Excess cement is then removed by the auxiliary.
7. The tooth is now crowned, preventing air from getting to the exposed nerves and causing any pain.
8. While the patient has a temporary crown on they are advised not to floss the area around the new temporary crown, brush gently and avoid chewing gum and sticky hard foods.

 

What If My Temporary Crown Comes Off?

It is common for a temporary crown to come off before it is supposed to. If this happens when the dental office is closed, it can be put back on by applying Vaseline or toothpaste inside the temporary and placing it back on the prepped tooth. Then just bite down on the crown to reseat it on the tooth.

 

The dental auxiliary can re-cement the temporary very quickly once you make it back to the dentist's office. If the temporary comes off, it is important to have the temporary re-cemented to avoid any movement of the prepped tooth that would make the new permanent crown not fit properly.

 

How Much Does A Temporary Crown Cost?

 

Most commonly, the cost of the temporary crown is included in the total price of the permanent crown, as is the tooth preparation by the dental staff and the new dental crown.