A dental crown is a cosmetic restoration tool used to improve the shape of your tooth and help strengthen it at the same time. Tooth crowns, also known as “tooth caps,” are commonly used on teeth that are broken, cracked, worn or partially destroyed due to tooth decay.

What is a dental crown? A dental crown is a full-covering cap that will be cemented onto a tooth. When the procedure is finished, the dental crown becomes the new outer surface of your tooth. 

Occasionally, we might need to do a partial crown. Partial crowns are used when a tooth does not have sufficient strength to hold a dental filling.

In other offices, you might have a temporary crown placed in your mouth while an order is placed for your actual crown. You then have to schedule an additional appointment for your crown to be placed. In our office, Dr. Harmon, DMD, will personally design your crown on the CEREC machine using 3D software, and that design will be sent to our in-office milling unit. The crown will be prepared in a matter of minutes and ready for immediate use once cemented.

In our Sun City West office, we offer same-day dental crowns so you can spend more time doing what you love and less time at the dentist’s office.

Receiving a dental crown with CEREC technology has many benefits for patients. These include:

• Time: With CEREC, crowns can be made and placed on the same day right within our Sun City West office. This allows a patient to reduce their visits to the office, giving them more time at work or with their family.
• Comfort: Patients who need a crown are usually discovered because they are experiencing pain. With CEREC, patients can receive their crowns quickly, meaning their pain will be alleviated sooner.
• Aesthetics: CEREC crown technology creates crowns that mimic the appearance of natural teeth by using tooth-colored ceramic materials. This way the patient’s appearance isn’t affected.
• Strength: CEREC uses milled ceramic which is stronger than traditional dental layering and pressing. This way your crown will be better protected against damage.
• Fillings: Our team can also use CEREC technology for dental fillings. CEREC fillings are stronger and more durable than traditional dental fillings.

Dr. Harmon, DMD, analyzes the case before even starting and will provide a personalized consultation to show what is possible for each unique case.

Dr. Harmon, DMD, then analyzes the size and shape of the teeth, the gum height, the midline, and overall dimensions of the teeth to create the perfect smile.

After preparing the teeth, Dr. Harmon, DMD, personally designs each case using the CEREC technology. Since every smile is unique, Dr. Harmon, DMD, makes sure to take time to perfect the smile design during this step.

Once designed, the dental crowns are sent to the mill for fabrication. This process takes only minutes to complete.

What are dental bridges? Tooth bridges are used to replace missing teeth, to help maintain the shape of your face, and to relieve stress on your bite.

A dental bridge will place artificial teeth where your missing teeth once were. This process will give you a more natural-looking smile, and it will “bridge” the gap where one or more teeth might have been. The bridge placed in your mouth might be made from gold, alloys, porcelain, or a combination of these materials and bonded to neighboring teeth for additional support.

A successful dental bridge is defined by its foundation — your teeth, gums, or bone to which the bridge is attached. In order to maintain a successful bridge, it is important to care for your natural teeth, gums, and jaw.

When appropriate, the dental bridge will be done in our office near Surprise, AZ, using the CEREC technology.