What Is It Like to Get a Dental Crown?

It is not uncommon for a patient to ask what it is like to get a crown. For many, it may be their first crown. For others, they may have had an experience which they did not want to repeat. I can certainly understand all this.
I actually have had a crown myself. However, I have never had a filling. Yet, my answer to you is that getting a crown done is not much different from getting a filling done. Yes, I know this seems odd for me to state this. However, since I perform both of these procedures, I know how I do each, and I know what instruments I use to perform each. That is why I can confidently state that getting a crown done feels similar to getting a filling done.
So, what does this mean? In having a crown done, we use an air and water spray to cool the tooth. We also use our well-known drill to remove any existing filling material and to remove any defective or decayed tooth structure. We also many times place a filling material, known as a buildup material, to provide more “tooth structure” for the eventual crown to hold on to the tooth. All this is the same procedure for doing a filling. The difference lies in that we oftentimes remove more tooth structure do to the crown procedure. In this way, the crown procedure may take a bit longer than a filling.
However, when a filling is started, it is most times also completed that same day. In many instances, the crown is custom-made in a laboratory, and is to be delivered after a couple of weeks. During this interim time, a temporary crown is most likely made to protect the tooth and to maintain the space for the eventual crown. With the temporary crown, the technique of flossing is slightly altered, and the diet is adjusted over the temporary crown to prevent sticky or hard foods from pulling off or breaking the temporary crown, until the final crown is placed. When the final crown is placed, patients most often do not require being numb again. Once the crown is in place, patients may care for it as a natural tooth.
As can be understood, experiencing getting a crown is not too different from getting a filling.
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