Gold is the traditional material of choice for making the crown of the back tooth. Compared to other dental materials, gold has the best marginal adaptation to the edges of the tooth preparation. Since it is a high noble metal, it does not rust or corrode. It requires least reduction of tooth material in preparation for the crown.

Years ago, placing gold restoration in the mouth symbolizes wealth and power. Today it is not so. Most of the modern dental restorations are made from porcelain. However, gold is still recommended for the following situations:

1. When the opposing teeth had been restored with gold;
2. When the tooth to be restored has short clinical crown; and
3. When the patient has destructive oral habit such as grinding (bruxism) at night.

It takes two appointments to restore your teeth with a crown. That’s because a crown is custom-crafted in a dental laboratory to precisely fit your tooth.

To make the entire process comfortable for you, the first thing your dentist will do is make sure the affected area is thoroughly numb. Then any decay is removed with the handpiece, and the tooth is shaped. All works are done under the surgical microscope.

Sometimes, to make a more accurate impression of the tooth, a piece of string is placed between the tooth and the gums. This gently pushes the gums away from the tooth.

Impressions create an accurate working model of the mouth, including the prepared tooth. This helps to re-create your natural bite. In our office the traditional impression is replaced with digital scan technology, the Itero Element Scanner.

For the week or two that it takes the dental lab to fabricate your new crown, you’ll have a temporary crown. At your next visit, the temporary crown is removed, and you’ll try out your new crown. Your dentist will check the fit and your bite. When everything looks good, your new crown crown will be cemented into place to complete the procedure.