Dental Crown Fitting Pre-Treatment Checklist: What to Know Before You Sit in the Chair

Start With the Tooth Itself

A crown extends over the tooth that’s been prepared to receive it. That means a dentist will want to check on the condition of that tooth before installing the crown.

The professional may take an X-ray to get a good look at the root and surrounding tissue, or simply examine it for severe decay or infection that should be dealt with before going any further.

That’s where your honesty comes into play. The dentist may ask whether or not the tooth has been hurting you during the time you’ve worn the temporary one, and you should tell the truth about any discomfort you’ve experienced.

The last thing you want is to get a crown and then realize it’s hurting you every time you bite down.

What Your Dentist May Check First

• Existing decay or infection beneath the damaged portion of the tooth, since it’s not a good idea to cover up an unhealthy tooth with a crown

• Inflammation, tenderness, or other sign of periodontitis around the affected tooth

• How much of the tooth is likely to remain, particularly if there’s already been a large filling placed on it

• Your jaw structure and bite, since having a crown that’s too high can be incredibly annoying

• Past dental work, including whether or not the tooth has had a root canal, since the dentist will need to get it ready for the crown by removing unhealthy tissue

Get Your Appointment Details Straight

There’s a completely practical reason for asking what will happen at your appointment, which is that procedures can vary dramatically from one kind of crown to the next. Some require multiple visits to the dentist’s office, while others make use of same-day dental technology.

You should also ask whether you’ll need to keep a temporary crown between visits, as your dentist should be able to advise you on how to care for it and what not to do while it’s in place.

Do a Quick Personal Check Before You Go

The night before your visit, take a moment to consider whether anything has changed with respect to the tooth in question. Has the pain been acting up lately? Has the tooth begun to trap food against the gums?

Is the temporary filling you’re supposed to keep becoming uncomfortable somehow?

You don’t need to go out of your way to prepare your mouth for the appointment, but it’s a good idea to brush and floss as you normally would before a dental session, and to eat something if you’re likely to feel faint when you haven’t eaten for several hours. That means avoiding fasting beforehand if your dentist hasn’t told you otherwise.

Know What You Want to Ask

Crowns are meant to be permanent fixtures in your mouth, so I think it’s safe to say that their purpose is pretty clear. If you want to get a good grasp on why you’re getting one and what it’ll be like if you don’t get one, you should ask questions.

You might ask how much of your tooth has to be removed in order to install the crown, or which material is going to be used to make it and why that’s a good choice. If you’re going to have a root canal, you should ask whether the dentist believes there are any other issues with the tooth they should check for first.

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