We provide porcelain, tooth-colored dental crowns (all-ceramic) that are lifelike and blend naturally with your other teeth.  A crown is placed on a tooth that has had large restorations, a root canal, or fractured areas to prevent the tooth from breaking.  Dental crowns are used to reinforce teeth by directing the force down the center line of the tooth and holding the tooth together.  A dental crown also allows us to achieve optimal esthetics and contours of the tooth when the extent of decay or previous restorations does not allow us to achieve ideal results with a filling.  We only use the highest quality materials available to get a result that is both lifelike and strong.  All of our dental crowns are fabricated by a local lab that specializes in crowns and bridges.  This allows us to obtain a fit that is second to none and will provide service for many years given proper home care.  We even offer custom shade matching in which the owner of the lab will come in to your appointment to custom stain your crown to match your natural teeth.

Dr. Hopkinson is happy to explain what exactly occurs during a crown prep.  "Medical history is reviewed and any questions are answered prior to starting the procedure.  Complete anesthesia is achieved to ensure a relaxing experience for the patient.  A preliminary impression is taken at the beginning of the appointment to have for the purpose of making a temporary crown once the crown prep is complete.  Any old restoration is removed along with any recurrent decay.  A white filling is placed as a core build-up to provide a good foundation for the crown.  The broken down tooth is then carefully prepared to allow clearance for the crown.  A smooth and accurate margin of tooth structure is obtained that the crown will meet up perfectly with.  A impression is taken with a very accurate material called PVS (Polyvinyl Siloxane).  This impression accurately captures the crown preparation, the teeth next to the crown preparation, and your bite.  A temporary crown is fabricated from the initial impression.  The temporary crown is cemented with temporary cement to allow us to get the temporary off easily when the permanent crown comes back from the lab."

"The impression is then sent off to our high- end lab that will pour up models of your teeth with dental die stone.  The models are then scanned using Cad-cam technology and milled to the most precise specifications possible.  The crown is finally custom stained to match your other natural teeth.  The custom work at the lab takes approximately 2.5-3 weeks.  At your permanent crown delivery appointment (~3 weeks after the crown prep appointment), we will remove your temporary crown and clean any temporary cement off of the preparation.  Some times anesthetic is required if the tooth is sensitive but many times our patients do just fine without anesthetic at the delivery appointment.  The dental crown fit is verified and your bite (occlusion) is checked.  The crown is then cemented with a permanent cement.  Excess cement is removed and your bite is once again confirmed  We will review any post-operative instructions with you and answer any questions you may have.  A well designed, quality dental crown will provide many years of reliable service."