A generation ago, getting a dental crown meant two appointments, a goopy impression tray, a plastic temporary crown, and a couple of weeks of waiting. At Kwon & Jabbour Dental in Walnut Creek, that entire process now happens in a single visit, usually in about two hours.
Dr. Julie Kwon and Dr. Hani Jabbour design, mill, and place custom ceramic crowns right here in the office using CEREC-style digital technology. You walk in with a damaged tooth and walk out with a finished, permanent crown. Here is how it works and whether it is right for you.
A crown is a custom cap that covers a damaged tooth completely, restoring its shape, strength, and appearance. Think of it as a helmet for your tooth: the weakened structure underneath stays protected, and you chew on strong ceramic instead.
You may need a crown when:
Crowns are one of the most common treatments in restorative dentistry, and how they are made has changed dramatically.
The crown itself is similar to what a lab produces. What changes is your experience of getting it:
Patients who have had crowns the old way tell us this is one of the biggest quality-of-life upgrades in modern dentistry. We wrote more about why we brought this technology in-house in our post on offering same-day dental crowns.
Here is what your appointment at our Walnut Creek office looks like, from start to finish in roughly two hours.
We numb the tooth, remove any decay or old filling material, and shape the tooth to receive its crown. Then we scan it with a small digital camera that builds a precise 3D model on screen. No impression trays involved.
Using that 3D model, your dentist designs the crown chairside, matching the bite, the contours of neighboring teeth, and the shade of your enamel. You can watch your new tooth take shape on the monitor if you are curious.
The design goes to our in-office milling unit, which carves your crown from a solid block of dental ceramic in a matter of minutes. While it mills, you relax. Many patients catch up on a show or simply take a break.
We try the crown in, fine-tune the fit and bite, then polish, glaze, and bond it permanently to your tooth. You leave with a finished crown the same day, and you can eat normally once the numbness wears off.
Same-day crowns are milled from solid blocks of high-strength dental ceramic, the same category of material used by outside labs. Because each crown is carved from a single uniform block, there are no layers to chip apart, and the fit is driven by a precise digital scan rather than a physical impression that can distort.
With good care, a milled ceramic crown is built to last many years, comparable to a traditional lab-made crown. Longevity depends mostly on the same things any crown depends on: your home care, your bite, and regular checkups so we can catch small issues early.
For most single crowns on most teeth, yes, and it is our default approach. But honesty matters more to us than technology, so here is the fuller answer: there are still cases where we recommend a traditional lab-crafted crown.
Examples include certain front-tooth cases where highly layered, hand-characterized porcelain gives the most lifelike result, some complex bite situations, and cases where a specific material only a lab can process is the best choice. If your case falls into one of those categories, we will tell you exactly why, and we will still make the process as smooth as possible.
That is part of the comprehensive, wellness-focused approach we take with every treatment decision: the right option for your mouth, not the most convenient one for us.
A same-day crown is billed as a crown, the same procedure category insurance companies have covered for decades. You are not paying a premium for the convenience of one visit.
The exact cost varies with the tooth being treated and the condition it is in, and you will see your cost in writing before we start. Most dental insurance plans cover a significant portion of crown treatment, and our team will help you maximize your insurance benefits. If you would like to spread out payments, we offer 0% financing through CareCredit.
With good care, yes, they are built to give you many years of service, comparable to traditional lab-made crowns. They are milled from solid high-strength ceramic, so there are no layers to separate. Like any crown, longevity depends on brushing, flossing, your bite, and regular checkups so we can spot wear early.
If you have a damaged tooth, or you have been putting off a crown because you dread the two-visit process, we would love to change your mind about what a crown appointment can be. We proudly serve Walnut Creek and nearby communities including Concord, Pleasant Hill, Lafayette, Alamo, and Danville.
Call Kwon & Jabbour Dental at (925) 930-8465 or request your first visit online. Our office is at 108 La Casa Via, Suite 102, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, near John Muir Medical Center.
