Service
Fillings and crowns
A filling repairs a tooth with a cavity or a small break; a crown covers a tooth too weak or broken for a filling.
Your dentist shows you the tooth on the X-ray, explains the choices and tells you what each one costs before any work starts. Your gums matter here too: a tooth restored next to inflamed gums is harder to keep clean, so we look at both.
Services
What happens
- 01
Step 1: The exam and X-ray
The dentist finds the cavity or the break and shows you.
- 02
Step 2: Numbing
We numb the tooth and the area around it before we begin.
- 03
Step 3: Removing the decay, rebuilding the tooth
The dentist removes the decayed part and fills the tooth with a tooth-colored material, or prepares it for a crown.
- 04
Step 4: A crown takes a second visit
For a crown we take a scan or impression, place a temporary and fit the finished crown at a later visit.
- 05
Step 5: A bite check
The dentist checks that your bite feels even and tells you how to look after the tooth.
Services
Comfort, choices and care
Comfort
We numb the area first. Most people feel pressure, not pain, and we stop whenever you ask.
Other choices, and waiting
A very small spot can sometimes be watched rather than filled, and your dentist tells you if that is your case. Waiting lets decay spread toward the nerve, and a tooth that needs more than a filling may need a root canal, which another office provides.
Risks and after-care
A new filling can make a tooth sensitive for a few days, and your bite can feel high until it settles; call us if it doesn't. Fillings can chip and crowns can loosen, and we check them at your exams.
How it is billed
A filling or a crown is billed by tooth, and plans pay different shares. We check what your plan says and give you an estimate in writing before treatment.
How fees work
Questions about fillings and crowns
How many visits is a crown?
Usually two when the crown is made in a lab. The dentist tells you before you start.
What will my filling be made of?
We usually use a tooth-colored material. The dentist explains the choices for your tooth.
How long will it last?
It depends on your bite, your habits and the tooth. We don't promise a number; we check it at every exam.
Provided by a general dentist
Fillings and crowns at Hickory Grove Dental is provided by our general dentists and hygienists. Ask for a visit and we will call with a time.