A damaged or missing tooth can affect much more than the appearance of your smile. It may change the way you chew, place additional stress on other teeth, and make everyday activities uncomfortable.

Two common ways we restore damaged or missing teeth are dental crowns and dental bridges.

At Aashvi Smiles Dental Group in San Carlos, CA, we combine restorative dentistry with digital technology to make the process as comfortable, precise and convenient as possible—including the ability to provide many same-day crowns using CEREC technology.

What Is a Dental Crown?

A dental crown is a custom-made restoration that covers and protects a tooth.

You can think of a crown as a protective cap designed to restore the tooth's shape, strength and function. A dentist may recommend a crown when a tooth has been significantly weakened or damaged and a filling alone may not provide enough protection.

Crowns may be used to restore teeth that are:

Cracked, fractured or significantly worn
Weakened by a large filling
Severely decayed
Treated with root canal therapy
Misshapen or significantly discolored
Part of an implant restoration

The goal isn't simply to make the tooth look better. A well-designed crown helps restore function so that you can comfortably bite and chew again while protecting the remaining tooth structure.

What Is a Dental Bridge?

A dental bridge replaces one or more missing teeth.

As its name suggests, the restoration "bridges" the space where a tooth is missing. A traditional bridge generally uses teeth on either side of the space to support the replacement tooth or teeth.

Replacing a missing tooth can help restore your smile and chewing function and may help prevent some of the problems that can occur when a space is left untreated.

A bridge isn't necessarily the best solution for every missing tooth. Depending on your oral health, surrounding teeth, goals and preferences, we may also discuss options such as a dental implant or removable prosthesis.

Our goal is to help you understand your choices rather than assume that one solution is right for everyone.

Same-Day CEREC Crowns at Aashvi Smiles

Traditionally, getting a crown can require multiple appointments.

The dentist prepares the tooth and takes an impression. A temporary crown is placed while a dental laboratory creates the final restoration. The patient then returns for another appointment to remove the temporary and place the permanent crown.

At Aashvi Smiles, CEREC technology allows us to complete many crowns using an entirely digital, in-office workflow.

CEREC combines digital scanning, computer-aided design and in-office milling. Dentsply Sirona describes its workflow as progressing from preparation to a digital scan, in-office manufacturing and final crown placement, allowing appropriate restorations to be completed in a single visit.

Step 1: We Digitally Scan Your Teeth

Instead of relying on a traditional impression tray, we can use an intraoral scanner to create a detailed 3D digital representation of your teeth and bite.

The technology captures the preparation, neighboring and opposing teeth and bite information, which can then be used to create a virtual model.

For many patients, this is one of the most noticeable differences between traditional and digital dentistry.

Step 2: We Design Your Crown Digitally

Using your scan, your crown can be designed digitally to complement the shape of your tooth, neighboring teeth and bite.

This gives us the ability to evaluate the restoration before it is manufactured and make appropriate adjustments to the design.

Step 3: Your Crown Is Created in Our Office

Rather than automatically sending the case to an outside laboratory and asking you to return weeks later, our CEREC system allows us to mill many restorations right here in the practice.

Step 4: We Check the Fit and Appearance

Once the crown has been created, we evaluate its fit, bite and appearance before final placement.

For appropriate cases, this means going from a damaged tooth to a completed permanent restoration during the same visit rather than wearing a temporary crown and returning for a second appointment. CEREC's manufacturer describes a typical scan-to-placement crown workflow as approximately 60–90 minutes, although actual appointment time varies according to the individual case.

What About the Color of My Crown?

A crown shouldn't simply be "white." Teeth have individual differences in shade, translucency and character, and those differences become particularly important for teeth that show when you smile.

We select the shade of your restoration to complement your natural teeth. CEREC-compatible ceramic materials are available in tooth-colored shades, and some materials are specifically designed to provide natural-looking esthetics.

For cases where the color or appearance requires additional customization, we can work with a dental laboratory for custom shade matching rather than compromising the result simply for the sake of completing treatment that day.

That's an important distinction: same-day dentistry is an option, not a requirement. We choose the workflow that we believe is appropriate for your particular tooth and desired result.

Crowns vs. Bridges: What's the Difference?

The easiest way to remember the difference is:

A crown restores a tooth that's still there.
A bridge replaces a tooth that's missing.

Both are customized restorations, but they solve different problems.

Modern digital dentistry can also be used for more than individual crowns. CEREC's manufacturer lists crowns, bridges, veneers, implant restorations and other restorations among its supported indications.

Do I Need a Crown or Bridge?

Not every damaged tooth needs a crown, and not every missing tooth needs a bridge.

Before recommending treatment, we consider the condition of your tooth, remaining tooth structure, gums and bone, bite, neighboring teeth, medical and dental history, and—most importantly—your goals.

Sometimes the appropriate treatment may be a filling or onlay rather than a crown. For a missing tooth, an implant may be preferable to a bridge in certain situations.

We want you to understand why a treatment is being recommended and what alternatives are available before making a decision.

Looking for Same-Day Crowns in San Carlos, CA?

At Aashvi Smiles Dental Group, we believe technology should make dental care better and more convenient—not more complicated.

Our digital workflow allows us to scan your teeth, design your restoration and create many crowns in our office, often in a single visit.

Whether you have a broken tooth, need to replace an older crown, or are considering options for a missing tooth, we'd be happy to help you understand your choices.

Aashvi Smiles Dental Group
555 El Camino Real, Suite 100
San Carlos, CA 94070
650-495-0795

Serving patients from San Carlos and surrounding Peninsula communities.

Crowns and Bridges in San Carlos, CA