{"id":308,"date":"2025-04-11T12:21:01","date_gmt":"2025-04-11T12:21:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/blog\/?p=308"},"modified":"2025-08-19T17:01:26","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T17:01:26","slug":"a-little-off-the-top-how-your-dentist-prepares-teeth-for-dental-crowns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/blog\/a-little-off-the-top-how-your-dentist-prepares-teeth-for-dental-crowns\/","title":{"rendered":"A Little Off the Top: How Your Dentist Prepares Teeth for Dental Crowns"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"611\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AdobeStock_588292290__1747223104_72892.jpg\" alt=\"A tooth with a crown sits beside a regular tooth, illustrating dental restoration and natural tooth comparison\" class=\"wp-image-309\" style=\"width:375px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AdobeStock_588292290__1747223104_72892.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AdobeStock_588292290__1747223104_72892-300x229.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AdobeStock_588292290__1747223104_72892-768x587.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Despite its royal-sounding name, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/dental-crowns.html\">dental crowns<\/a> are one of the most common and effective ways to repair broken or decayed teeth. Thousands are placed every single day around the world, and whether you\u2019re a noble lord or an honorable peasant, it always starts with a preparatory procedure. It surprises many patients who think their crown just goes on top of their damaged tooth\u2014they\u2019re half right! This first step ensures that a patient\u2019s restoration not only has the perfect fit, but will stand the test of time as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First Things First<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After a dentist has examined a patient and determined that their problem tooth needs to be restored with a crown, the next thing they do is remove a small amount of enamel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While this might seem to just be making things worse, it\u2019s actually vital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Firstly, it enables your dentist to gently shave down or file off the weak or brittle enamel that won\u2019t last anyway, and they reshape and smooth the tooth while doing so. This serves a few different purposes. It will provide an even and stable surface for the crown to sit on, plus taking away some enamel will make sure it doesn\u2019t sit too high and throw off your bite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once your tooth is ready, your dentist will take an impression and send it to a lab to fabricate your crown. In the meantime, a temporary will be placed. Altogether, this process guarantees your final result will look natural <em>and <\/em>function like a real tooth as well!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Does It Feel?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Local anesthetic will be applied so that you basically won\u2019t feel anything in the chair. If you\u2019re especially anxious at the dentist, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/sedation-dentistry.html\">nitrous oxide<\/a> can help calm your nerves while not making you drowsy afterward. Your prepared tooth might feel a little sore or sensitive in the days after the procedure, but these symptoms are typically mild and can be easily managed with OTC medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">All Coming Together<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When your final crown is ready, you\u2019ll return to your dentist\u2019s office where they\u2019ll cement it into place. Thanks to the preparation from earlier, it should be a secure fit that perfectly aligns with your bite. Dental crowns allow patients to keep their natural teeth as well as avoid the expense of removing and replacing them, meaning taking the time to properly prepare is definitely worth it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><u>About the Author<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>An honors graduate of the Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine with decades of experience, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/meet-dr-monica-mattson.html\">Dr. Monica Mattson<\/a> is proud to put her extensive knowledge to work for our community. Dental crowns are among the many services that she and our team offer to help our patients achieve smiles that are just as healthy as they are attractive.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>If you have a broken or aching tooth that might benefit from a crown,&nbsp;request an appointment at Diamond Dental of Owings Mills&nbsp;by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/request-an-appointment.html\">clicking here<\/a> or calling 443-394-2273.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Despite its royal-sounding name, dental crowns are one of the most common and effective ways to repair broken or decayed teeth. Thousands are placed every single day around the world, and whether you\u2019re a noble lord or an honorable peasant, it always starts with a preparatory procedure. It surprises many patients who think their crown just goes on top of their damaged tooth\u2014they\u2019re half right! This first step ensures that a patient\u2019s restoration not only [&hellip;] <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/blog\/a-little-off-the-top-how-your-dentist-prepares-teeth-for-dental-crowns\/\">(Read More)<\/a>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=308"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":360,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308\/revisions\/360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamonddentalofowingsmills.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}