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Busy Singaporeans love instant, same-day dental crown

Singaporeans love the same-day dental crown because it saves time, energy and reduces time off work and from your personal schedule.

There’s a case for both a same-day crown and a traditional crown, so let’s get an understanding of what’s best for you.

Is the same-day crown right for you?

The biggest advantage to choosing a same-day crown is time. Here’s a quick comparison:

​Same-dayTraditional
Timelines1 dayA few days to weeks
Appointments12
MaterialsCeramic/porcelainVarious, including metal alloy
DurabilityHighHigh
CostSimilarSimilar
ColourNaturalNatural or metallic

A same-day crown is generally preferred if you,

  • Only want to see a dentist once
  • Are OK with ceramic/porcelain as a crown material
  • The tooth you are crowning is suitable for a same-day crown

Only want to see a dentist once

A same-day crown is extremely quick in comparison to a traditional crown.

A same-day crown takes a few hours from start to finish, and a good portion of it involves the 1+ hour for the fabrication of your crown.

Here’s a breakdown of the steps for a same-day crown:

Appointment 1

  1. Initial dental work to shape tooth for incoming crown
  2. Imaging and evaluation
  3. Fabrication of the same-day crown
  4. Testing, adjustment of same-day crown
  5. Cementing of same-day crown

Let’s see the steps for a traditional crown:

Appointment 1

  1. Initial dental work to shape tooth for incoming crown
  2. Taking an impression for the permanent crown
  3. Creating a temporary crown
  4. Implanting temporary crown and finalisation
  5. Impression for permanent crown gets set to external lab for fabrication

Wait for permanent crown (a few days to a few weeks)

Appointment 2

  1. Removal of temporary crown
  2. Testing, adjustment of permanent crown
  3. Cementation of permanent crown

Are OK with ceramic/porcelain as a crown material

Making a crown in-house has become a typical procedure for most dentists over the last 20 years as technology matures and dentist gain a familiarity with it.

Over these two decades, dentists and patients enjoyed the significant reduction of turnover time for a crown from a few days to a couple of hours.

You might also be curious about alternative materials for a crown, which you can get if you opt for a traditional crown.

The old-fashioned but very functional gold-and-silver metal crowns still requires traditional methods for processing which means if you want one, you will have to wait for a few days.

The main advantage of a metal crown is that they are malleable. Some foods, like nuts, require a lot of force to chew, which can cause fractures in less malleable materials. A metal crown will alter its shape to the force rather than fracture which means you’ll have a larger margin for error.

That’s not to say that a ceramic/porcelain crown is fragile. In fact, they are still very strong and can withstand periodic heavy chewing.

The best way to find out whether you can achieve a good outcome with a porcelain/ ceramic same-day crown as compared to a traditional crown is to speak to our dentists.

The tooth you are crowning is suitable for a same-day crown

The initial appointment with our dentists will explore whether you have other options beyond a crown to help you achieve your goals.

At this initial appointment, our dentists will also examine whether the condition of your tooth is better suited for a same-day crown or a traditional crown.

Our expertise with same-day crowns

At Gentle Smile Dental Clinic we have created many new smiles for Singaporeans at our Millennia Walk clinic.

Employing advanced digital dental technology helps us get a detailed evaluation of your teeth in one sitting.

Our dentists are also constantly upgrading their knowledge and techniques, and contributing to the knowledge pool within the global dental community.

Advanced imaging tools that save time

Our clinic uses a fully-digital imaging device called the iTero Element 5D imaging system.

The iTero 5D is both a digital imaging tool capable of creating a 3D image of your teeth, including the spaces between teeth, and it’s able to detect damaged areas all in one scan.

Sophisticated technology helps our patients save time while providing valuable data that informs our approach to your same-day crown.

Advanced dental knowledge

Our dentists are continually upgrading to learn the best techniques that provide patients a longer-lasting and better-fitting same-day crown.

Dr. Kelvin Chua has trained under Professor Pascal Magne to understand the details on the bonding of same-day crown onto the tooth.

Professor Pascal Magne is the Don and Sybil Harrington Foundation Professor of Esthetic Dentistry in the Division of Restorative Sciences at the University of Southern California’s Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry.

Throughout Dr. Chua’s career, he has also shared his knowledge about techniques to create a better same-day crown.

Dr. Chua is a speaker with iTero on the topic of restoration/same day crown and Invisalign. He has most recently spoken at the Asia Pacific Oral Health Congress on digital dentistry.

Ready for a same-day crown?

Now that you have an understanding of the procedure to get a same-day crown, the next step is to get a consultation.

During your consultation, our dentist will discuss your goals and will provide a personal approach to achieving this.

The personal approach could involve alternatives or a combination of procedures to reach your dental goals.

Book an appointment here.