If you have been told a tooth needs a crown, you can expect two appointments, usually a week or two apart. The first is the longer one: the tooth is numbed, shaped and fitted with a temporary cover. The second is shorter, when the finished crown is checked and fixed in place. Most people find the process far less of an ordeal than they had pictured.
Why a crown and not a filling
A crown covers the whole visible part of a tooth, holding it together and restoring its shape. Dentists usually suggest one when so much of a tooth has been lost to decay, fracture or old fillings that another filling would leave thin walls likely to crack. Back teeth that have had root canal treatment are a common example. Our guide to fillings, inlays, onlays and crowns explains where each one fits, and whether a root canal tooth needs a crown covers that situation in detail.
Before a crown is planned, the dentist checks the tooth with an X-ray to make sure the nerve and the bone around the root are healthy. If they are not, that needs treating first.
The first appointment: shaping and scanning
After local anaesthetic has numbed the area, the dentist removes any decay and old filling material and trims the outer surface of the tooth evenly, so the crown has room to sit without making the tooth bulky. If too little tooth is left to hold a crown securely, a core build-up, and sometimes a post inside the root, is placed first; our article on post and core describes how that works.
Next comes a record of the shaped tooth and its neighbours. At Lumi Dental this is usually done with a 3D intraoral scanner, a small wand that builds a digital model on screen, so most people do not need a tray of impression putty. The shade of the neighbouring teeth is noted so the crown can be matched. Finally a temporary crown, made from a plastic-type material, is fixed with a soft cement.
The weeks in a temporary crown
The temporary is there to protect the tooth, keep the gum in shape and stop neighbouring teeth from shifting while the permanent crown is made. Because its cement is deliberately weak, it can come loose. A few habits help:
- Chew mostly on the other side, and avoid very hard or sticky foods such as toffee and crusty bread.
- When you floss around it, slide the floss out sideways rather than lifting it up through the contact.
- Expect some sensitivity to cold; it usually settles once the permanent crown is fitted.
If the temporary comes off, keep it and call the practice. It can usually be re-cemented the same day, and leaving the tooth uncovered for long can let it shift.
Where the crown is made
The scan is used by a dental technician to make the crown in porcelain, zirconia, a metal-ceramic combination or gold, depending on the tooth and what has been planned. Lumi has an in-house lab, which allows the dentist and technician to check details such as shade and shape together. The choice of material affects appearance, strength and cost, and our guide to types of dental crowns compares them.
The second appointment: fitting
The temporary is removed and the tooth cleaned. The dentist tries the new crown in and checks how it meets the gum, how tightly it touches the teeth either side, how it looks against your other teeth and how your bite feels. Small adjustments are made in the chair. Once everything is right, the crown is cemented or bonded in place. Local anaesthetic is often not needed for this visit, though it is available if the tooth is sensitive.
For the first day or two the crown may feel slightly unfamiliar. If your bite still feels high after a few days, or the tooth aches when you chew, return so the bite can be adjusted.
Some practices make crowns in one visit
Some practices use in-chair milling to design and make a ceramic crown while you wait, which removes the temporary stage. It suits some teeth better than others. Our article on same-day crowns explains the trade-offs.
How long crowns tend to last
A large systematic review in Dental Materials (Sailer and colleagues, 2015), pooling 67 studies of single crowns, estimated that about 95% of metal-ceramic crowns and most types of all-ceramic crowns were still in place after five years. Many crowns go on to last well beyond that. How long yours lasts depends on the health of the tooth underneath, how well the edge of the crown is kept clean, and habits such as grinding or chewing ice. Decay at the edge of the crown is a common reason for replacement, so brushing along the gum line and cleaning between the teeth matter. If you grind, a night guard can help protect the crown.
Typical market cost
As a general guide, a single crown in Australia typically costs about $1,500 to $2,500, depending on the material and whether a core or root canal treatment is also needed. This is a market range, not a Lumi fee. Many health funds with major dental cover pay part of the cost. Our crown cost guide covers this in more detail.
Common questions
Does getting a crown hurt?
The tooth is numbed for the shaping visit, so you should feel pressure and vibration rather than pain. Some tenderness of the gum and mild sensitivity afterwards is common and usually settles within days.
Can I eat normally after the crown is fitted?
Yes, once the permanent crown is in place, although it is sensible to wait until any numbness has worn off before eating.
Can a crown get decay?
The crown itself cannot, but the tooth underneath can decay where the crown meets the tooth. Regular check-ups let your dentist or OHT spot this early.
If a tooth has been flagged for a crown and you would like to talk it through, our team can examine it and explain your options, and you will usually receive a written treatment plan, often by email. To ask about treatment or see current offers, visit our offers page. This article is general information and not a substitute for advice from your dentist.
