Dental Health Topics

The term crown describes the portion of your tooth that extends above the gumline - in other words, the portion of the tooth that can be seen in a healthy mouth.

It is also used more colloquially to describe the dental procedure of having a prosthetic crown placed over a decayed, chipped, cracked, or otherwise damaged tooth. 

 

With this dental procedure code, the prosthetic crown fitted over the tooth is made of porcelain or ceramic. A crown constructed of either of these materials yields positive cosmetic results, with porcelain creating a more natural look than the heavier look of full ceramic.

For this reason, an all-porcelain crown is typically used to repair decay on teeth within the smile-zone, whereas a fully ceramic crown is most often used in the rear of the mouth. 

 

Use of this type of crown is often prescribed when the removal of a lesser portion of the healthy tooth area is desired, as well as when allergies to certain metals may exist. 

 

To prepare for this type of crown, a dentist will first remove any decayed or weakened areas of the tooth, and reduce its overall shape to accommodate the crown.

A mold of your bite will then be made, so the custom crown can be fabricated off-site at a dental lab. If desired, a temporary crown can be fitted until the custom crown is completed. 

 

Once the custom crown arrives at the dentist's office, any temporary crown used as a place-holder will be removed, and you will be fitted with the new crown.

To look up and find more CDT dental codes from the American Dental Association, please visit our complete Dental Procedure Code Library.