Dental crown placement is a routine procedure in every dental office. A crown may be required to reinforce a damaged or decayed tooth, restoring its chewing function and appearance. But is getting a dental crown painful? Please read our article to learn the answer to this question and the details of the procedure.
Is Getting a Dental Crown Painful?
The procedure of getting a dental crown typically does not cause significant discomfort or pain to the patient, thanks to the effectiveness of modern local anesthetics. A dental crown is typically placed on the tooth after a root canal treatment to reinforce its structure and protect it from further damage. A root canal treatment is also performed using a local anesthetic and, therefore, does not cause pain. In some cases, a crown can be placed without a root canal treatment when it is used for cosmetic purposes or if the tooth’s pulp and nerves are not infected or damaged.
What Happens During a Dental Crown Placement Procedure?
In most cases, it takes two visits to your dental office to get a permanent dental crown.
First Visit
During the first visit, you can expect the following:
- Examination and x-ray or a scan to check the condition of the tooth’s roots, the surrounding bone tissue and gums, and the extent of damage and decay, if present.
- Numbing the area of the procedure with a local anesthetic.
- Preparation of the tooth involves filing it down to create room for the crown to fit properly among the surrounding teeth or building it up with resin composite if the tooth is significantly damaged. The number of teeth removed for the crown depends on the type of crown your dentist will place.
- Once the tooth is prepared, an impression or digital scan is taken to ensure that the custom-made crown fits naturally in the mouth and does not affect the bite. Your permanent crown will be made in a laboratory using either an impression or a scan.
- The last step of the first visit is the placement of a temporary crown that will protect the tooth until the permanent crown is ready (typically takes one to two weeks).
Second Visit
The second visit to the dental office typically involves the following steps:
- Numbing of the procedure area, if needed, especially if the tooth is highly sensitive.
- Removing the temporary crown
- Fitting the permanent crown to the tooth, making sure that it is comfortable and aligns properly with the rest of your teeth.
- The final step is to bond the crown to the tooth, ensuring that bacteria and food particles do not have access.
Some dental offices offer same-day dental crowns, meaning that the permanent crown can be designed using 3D scans and prepared by a milling machine right in the office. Such crowns are carved from a ceramic block, which takes approximately 10 to 20 minutes to complete.
What if a Local Anesthetic Is Not Sufficient to Block the Pain?
Some patients might have a high tolerance to local anesthetics, experience severe dental anxiety, or find it challenging to remain in the same position for the duration of the procedure. These issues can prevent the patient from undergoing the procedure or make it extremely stressful. In such cases, your dentist might offer one of the sedation options to use in combination or instead of a local anesthetic:
- Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is a gentle sedative that helps the patient relax and is typically used in combination with a local anesthetic.
- Oral sedation is also a mild sedative that makes the patient relaxed and drowsy and is also used in combination with a local anesthetic.
- IV sedation is the strongest type of conscious sedation that typically makes the patient fall asleep and have little memory of the procedure afterward. It is also used together with a local anesthetic.
- General anesthesia is rarely used for such routine procedures as crown placement, as it requires an anesthesiologist and puts you completely unconscious. It can be considered for patients with special needs.
Get a High-Quality Dental Crown at iSmiles LB
Do not hesitate to make an appointment with an experienced dentist at iSmiles LB today to get high-quality and reliable dental crowns. Our specialists are looking forward to your visit.
