Best Practices to Ensure your Patient's Crowns Fit Perfectly

Kingsport, TN

Over time, the steps needed to make a crown in both a dentist’s office and a lab have been carefully mapped out. This gives a tried-and-true method for putting on dental crowns. If a crown doesn’t fit right, it could be because of a mistake in the lab or at the dentist’s office. Also, the patient may have bad habits or have an accident that affects their oral health and the stability of the crown. Keeping Premier Dental Arts and your dental practice up to a high standard is important and can have a big effect on how the patient feels. So, it’s crucial to have procedures that are always the same and continuously give perfect results. That’s why our dental lab experts share on the blog today the best practices to ensure your patient’s crowns fit perfectly.

Best Practice 1: When Crowns Don’t Fit Well

Although your dental office and our expert dental lab techs follow specific guidelines, there are instances when a crown won’t fit well, and other treatments may be necessary. Fortunately, most cases have a solvable situation. Below are a few reasons why crowns may no longer fit well, and all of them may result in an emergency office visit.

Microleakage: Microleakage is the dissolution of the cement used to bond the crown to the tooth. As a result, there will be a gap between the crown and the prep, which may cause tooth sensitivity, discoloration, and cavities.
Cementation: Plaque buildup and cavities are more likely to occur on restored teeth if they aren’t properly cleaned. When left untreated, decay beneath the crown may develop over time.
Bruxism: Crowns may become loose due to bruxism or teeth grinding because the crown cement can crack or break due to intense bite pressures.
Diet: Consuming sticky foods like taffy or caramel may entirely dislodge crowns.
Trauma: A dislodged crown may be the result of a fall or a violent injury to the head or face.

Best Practice 2: Installing Crowns as Received

Once you receive a patient’s dental crowns from our professional dental lab, it’s important to examine the product before installing it. Look at the die and cast to see how the crown turned out. Using a magnifying glass, examine the die and crown edges to ensure a perfect match. Provided the crown is to spec, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting it into position. For the best results, make contact halfway along the axial walls and halfway between the buccal and lingual surfaces.

Best Practice 3: Dislodged Crown Treatments

Remove the temporary crown and clean any residue from the tooth. Make any necessary adjustments to suit the crown. Then, place the crown on the tooth without using any cement to verify the marginal seal. If it doesn’t sit flat in the crown, clean the teeth. Next, check the gum tissue with a bitewing radiograph. If everything is alright, install the crown. If tooth decay loosens the crown, a new one is necessary.

Finally, follow the procedures below until the crown fits and remains:

Check the occlusion.
If you’re unsure about full cement removal, get another radiograph.
Verify the occlusion once again.
Show the patient the crown.

Restorations Keep Failing

Some dentists say zirconia crowns are difficult to seat, especially when they loosen. Our dental lab techs suggest trying a new cementation method. First, check the crown’s fit before cleaning the tooth with pumice. Then, if the cement doesn’t contain a primer, clean the zirconia replacement’s intaglio surface before priming and applying cement. Next, zirconia’s impermeability requires a combination of light and chemical curing. So, follow the manufacturer’s light-curing instructions to cure the cement. Finally, scrape off any leftovers.

Premier Dental Arts

When patients have or get crowns that don’t fit properly, they might become frustrated. That’s why it’s crucial to prepare a quality product from the dental office to the lab. Our expert dental lab boasts stringent quality control measures to guarantee that all final crown products are up to par with industry standards. Before packing, Premier Dental Arts ensures that every crown snuggly fits in the molds or castings. To find out more about our lab services, please call (888) 732-5221 or contact us online.