How is a dental crown installed?

A dental crown is a prosthetic restoration placed over the remaining part of a tooth after the damaged or decayed portion has been removed or when the tooth is significantly weakened. The crown restores the tooth’s shape, function, and appearance. The process of installing a dental crown typically involves several stages. First, the tooth is prepared by removing the damaged areas. Then, the crown is designed in our digital laboratory, “Sa-Nata Dynasty,” based on a 3D scan. The crown can be made from various materials, such as ceramic or zirconia. Once fabricated, it is fitted onto the tooth, adjusted if necessary, and permanently fixed in place. It’s important to note that a new crown is placed only on a healthy tooth, meaning that proper diagnosis and treatment must be completed beforehand if required. The crown placement procedure is painless and is usually performed under local anesthesia.

Stages of the dental crown installation process:

• • Collection of medical history. Like any other dental procedure, the installation of a crown begins with a professional examination and consultation with a specialist. The prosthodontist performs a detailed diagnosis, including an X-ray, which helps to thoroughly study and assess the patient’s clinical condition and determine the best treatment approach. Based on the diagnostic results, a comprehensive treatment plan is developed, which may include both prosthetic and therapeutic procedures, as certain preparatory steps must be completed before placing a crown.

  • Preparation for installation. Professional oral hygiene is performed by a periodontist, hygienist, or therapist to remove accumulated plaque and calculus.

  • Oral sanitation. Problem teeth are identified — which require therapeutic treatment and which need to be extracted. This stage includes treating cavities, performing periodontal, surgical, and endodontic procedures for canals or tooth roots. A crown cannot be placed on a tooth without prior sanitation of the oral cavity!

• • Selection of crown material. The material for the future dental crown is chosen individually for each patient. It must meet both aesthetic and functional needs, taking into account the clinical situation and specific indications.  
  • Color selection for the crown. The shade of the dental crown is determined using a special tool — the Vita shade guide. According to protocol, color selection should be performed only after a professional dental cleaning. Determining the correct crown shade is a crucial step, as it must match the surrounding teeth to create a natural-looking smile.  
  • There is an important nuance in this process: the tooth stump influences the enamel color. If the tooth is unhealthy, the dentin may change color, causing the crown to differ in shade from the natural teeth. Conversely, if adjacent teeth are discolored, they may appear noticeably different from the artificial crown. For this reason, it is essential to treat all problematic teeth before proceeding with crown installation.

• • Tooth preparation for the crown. Tooth preparation involves shaping the tooth to the required form so that the future crown fits tightly and securely. The crown must be properly fixed to the tooth, and each crown material requires a specific amount of tooth reduction, as different materials have different thicknesses. For a zirconia crown, approximately 1 mm of tooth tissue is removed; for a ceramic crown, between 0.5 mm and 1 mm. If the tooth still has its nerve, local anesthesia is used to ensure a comfortable procedure. The purpose of tooth preparation is to create a stable tooth stump (core) on which the crown will be firmly and securely placed.  
  • Crown fabrication. To create a custom crown in our laboratory, a 3D scan of the jaw — or of the specific tooth — is taken using a Sirona 3D scanner. Based on this scan, our dental technicians design and manufacture an individualized prosthetic restoration. The production time depends on the type of material used for the crown. While waiting for the final restoration, a temporary plastic crown is placed to help the patient adapt and maintain comfort during the process.

• • Fitting and fixation of the crown. Once the crown is ready, it must first be tried on before final fixation. During this appointment, the specialist evaluates how tightly the crown fits onto the tooth stump. If the patient experiences no discomfort, the crown is permanently fixed in place.  
  • A temporary fixation option is also possible — a “test-drive” period of about 3–4 weeks. If no issues or discomfort arise during this time, the crown is then permanently cemented. This stage marks the final step in the process of installing a dental crown.

It is important to remember that the dental crown installation procedure may vary depending on the individual characteristics of the patient and the condition of their teeth. Therefore, all details of the procedure should always be discussed with your dentist.

How is a dental crown made

A few key points on how a dental crown is made:

• • Receiving the work order. After the doctor scans the patient, the scans are sent to the case center, where our technicians receive a work order with detailed specifications (a “technical assignment”).

  • Design and milling. Next, the design is created in specialized software, Exocad. The following step is milling the crowns according to their material.

  • Sintering (crown firing). After milling, the prepared crown blanks are placed into a special furnace for sintering.

• • Finishing and coloring. This is entirely manual work performed by a dental technician in the laboratory. During finishing, a natural shine and realistic surface texture are created. The coloring process resembles painting — using special stains, the technician adds natural shades, highlights, and shadows to the crown.  
  • Inspection and completion. The final stage involves checking the fit and delivering the finished crown. A fitting is mandatory after the crown is fabricated. At this stage, minor adjustments may be made to achieve a perfect result and maximum comfort for the patient.

It is important to remember that prosthetic dentistry is not only about aesthetic restoration but also about restoring proper chewing function. As for its aesthetic aspect, thanks to modern techniques and materials, it is possible to fully restore the integrity of the dental arch — including the individual selection of tooth color, shape, texture, size, and even position. Modern dentistry offers a wide range of materials and various methods for creating dental crowns. A major advantage is having an in-house laboratory for fabricating prosthetic restorations. This allows complete control over material selection, every stage of crown production, and achieving a 100% perfect result.

For nearly 13 years, we have been fulfilling our patients’ dreams of having beautiful, healthy, magazine-worthy smiles! We have already helped more than 60,000 patients who choose “Sa-Nata” and trust us with their smiles. Our own digital dental laboratory gives our team unique opportunities to create prosthetic restorations of any complexity using the highest-quality and most durable materials — zirconia and ceramics. When you’re at “Sa-Nata,” you’re in the reliable hands of true professionals!