A crowning achievement
Updated: Sep 7
If you have been told that a tooth may need a crown, it helps to understand why a crown is recommended, what the treatment involves and what alternatives may be available. Crowns can be useful for selected damaged or heavily restored teeth, but like any dental restoration they require ongoing care and do not last forever.
At Myers Street Dental, Dr Gautam Herle completes the majority of crowns on the same day using a digital restorative workflow. Treatment is still planned around the individual tooth, the amount of healthy structure remaining, the bite and the restorative material being considered. Some cases are better suited to a laboratory-made restoration or an additional appointment.
Who’s a candidate?
You may need a dental crown for several reasons. They work to protect teeth weakened from breaking and keep the weak tooth together if parts of it are cracked. Crowns restore broken or severely worn-down teeth. They can be used to cover and support a tooth with a large filling and not much tooth remaining, for holding a dental bridge in place, covering misshapen or severely discoloured teeth, covering a dental implant, or covering a tooth treated with a root canal.
How Dr Herle usually provides crowns
For the majority of crowns Dr Gautam Herle provides, digital scanning and in-house milling allow the tooth to be prepared, the restoration designed and made, and the final crown fitted on the same day. The treatment involves separate clinical stages while the crown is being designed and milled, but patients can often complete the process without wearing a temporary crown for several weeks.
Digital scanning provides a detailed record of the tooth and bite, which can be used to design a restoration as part of the same-day workflow. Conventional impressions or laboratory support may still be appropriate for selected cases.
Same-day treatment is not appropriate for every tooth or every type of crown. Some more complex restorations, material choices or clinical situations may still need laboratory fabrication or a separate fitting appointment. Dr Herle will explain the recommended approach, expected timing, alternatives and any temporary restoration that may be required for your individual case.
The aim is not to make every case follow the same timeline, but to select a restorative workflow that is appropriate for the tooth and produces a well-fitting, maintainable result.
Crowns vs. Veneers
It’s important to distinguish between a veneer and a crown. While similar to a crown, a veneer is a wafer-thin slice of porcelain which is bonded to a tooth in order to mask its natural colour, shape, or position in the mouth. They can be applied for a single tooth in need of attention, or the whole mouth. Veneers can cover part of a tooth – just to even things out – or the whole tooth to cover up chips, cracks or discolouration.
Veneers can last for many years, but their longevity varies with the material, bite, oral habits, maintenance and the underlying tooth. They may eventually need repair or replacement, so expected lifespan should be discussed for the individual case.
Dental crowns are restorations that cover a prepared tooth when a direct filling or more conservative restoration is not appropriate. Crowns may be made from ceramic, porcelain-based or other dental materials. The crowned tooth still needs daily brushing, interdental cleaning and ongoing dental review because the tooth and surrounding gums remain susceptible to disease.
Crowns and veneers can both have restorative and aesthetic roles, but they cover different amounts of tooth structure and are selected for different clinical reasons. The most appropriate option depends on the condition of the tooth, how much healthy structure remains, the bite and the treatment goals.
If you would like to understand whether a crown, partial-coverage restoration or another option may be appropriate for your tooth, Dr Gautam Herle can discuss the alternatives with you at Myers Street Dental in Geelong. More information about the practice’s current crown service is available on the Myers Street Dental website. You can also read Dr Herle’s article on biomimetic dentistry for a conservative-restorative perspective.
Related reading
Appointments with Dr Herle
If you have been told that you may need a crown and would like Dr Gautam Herle to assess whether a same-day digital crown is suitable for your tooth, you can book an appointment with Dr Herle at Myers Street Dental in Geelong.
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