How Long Does a Dental Crown Take?

Where the time goes

Why a dental crown takes as long as it does

A crown typically takes two visits of 1 to 2 hours, and the first is the longer one. That first appointment covers numbing, removing old filling and decay, shaping the tooth, taking the impression or scan, and making a temporary crown at the chairside, which is fiddly work in its own right. Then nothing happens in your mouth for a while: the lab builds the crown and you wear the temporary. The second visit is mostly checking. The dentist tries the crown on, looks at the edges and the contacts with the teeth either side, adjusts the bite, and only then cements it. When everything fits the first time, that visit is often well under the upper end of the range.

1. 01

   Numbing and clearing out the tooth

   The anesthetic is given time to work, then old fillings and decay are removed so the dentist can see how much sound tooth is left to build on.

2. 02

   Shaping, and a buildup if needed

   The tooth is trimmed to a smooth, slightly tapered shape. If a core buildup is required, placing and setting that material adds to this stage.

3. 03

   Impression or scan

   A putty impression has to sit still in your mouth until it sets, and may be repeated if a bubble lands on the edge of the tooth. A digital scan is quicker for many people.

4. 04

   Making the temporary

   The temporary is molded, trimmed, checked against your bite and cemented. It is the last step of the first visit and easy to underestimate.

5. 05

   Second visit: try-in and adjustment

   The temporary is removed and the cement cleaned off. The new crown is seated, X-rayed if needed, and adjusted where it touches neighboring or opposing teeth.

6. 06

   Cementing and final bite check

   Once you and the dentist are happy with the fit and color, the crown is cemented, excess cement is cleared from the gum line and the bite is checked once more.

When it runs longer

The first visit runs longer when the tooth needs a buildup, when decay turns out to be deeper than expected, or when the gum bleeds and makes a clean impression hard to get. If the nerve is involved, a root canal comes first and adds its own appointment. The second visit stretches if the crown is tight between its neighbors or high in the bite. Occasionally the fit or the shade is not right and the crown goes back to the lab, which means a third visit. Several crowns at once, or a front tooth that has to match exactly, also take more time. Your dentist can tell you which of these apply.