Single-Unit Crown Procedure Tips & Techniques

Delivering an efficient and long-lasting single-unit crown restoration for your patient can be challenging. Let our tips and techniques help you fundamentally elevate the overall performance and profitability of your practice.

Preliminary Impression

75% of provisonal pitfalls can derive from the preliminary impression¹

Shape your preliminary impression. Carving small lingual and buccal holes in the impression of your soon-to-be prepared tooth will allow for easier removal during its gel phase. Removing remaining interproximal contacts will allow for a more accurate fitting provisional.
Select the right material. While alginates and other preliminary materials might say pennies today, they can cost valuable time and money later. Algin-X Ultra materials allows for both an accurate matrix today and in case your patient breaks or loses a provisional in the future.
Select the right tray. It's critical to preliminary impression success. First test the tray to ensure proper clearance and fit. Selecting a dual arch tray allows for patients to come into occlusion, improving the accuracy of your impression and saving you valuable time checking and correcting for occlusion.

^{1. Data on File.}

Post Placement

100% greater overall retention can be achieved by placing a post in an endodontically treated tooth¹

A tapered post shape mimics root canal anatomy, helping to ensure minimal dentin removal in the apical area.
The overall longevity of a reconstruction is dependent upon a quality post. Longevity can suffer greatly if the post is crafted from inferior material, if it's too rigid, or prone to fractures or fissures. Glass fiber posts like Fluropost Endondontic Fiber Post keep catastrophic and restorable fracture rates low.

^{1. Clinicians Report, November 2013 40 (2012) 742-749}2. Figueiredo, et al: Dlo metal-post retained restorations result in more root fractures than fiber post retained restorations? A systematic review and meta-analysis. JOE 2015, Vol 41, 3:309-316

Core Build-up & Tooth Preparation

89% of dental practitioners feel that adequate tooth preparation will facilitate final restoration success¹

For a glass-ceramic crown, the preparation requires a minimum of 1.5 millimeters of axial reduction, 1.5 millimeters across the occlusal surface, and a full 2 millimeters in the central fossa.
For a zirconia crown, the preparation requires a minimum of 1.0 millimeters of axial reduction, 1.0 millimeters across the occlusal surface, and a full 2 millimeters in the central fossa.
An ideal preparation should have at least 4 millimeters of axial wall height, and an occlusal convergence or taper between 8 and 10 degrees per taper to create inherent retention.

^{1. Data on File.}

Tissue Management

Achieving adequate hemostasis is the #1 challenge during the final impression procedure¹

With its lubricating effect, Hemoban 25% Gel Aluminum Chloride Hemostatic Solution allows you to use larger cord sizes for more effective retraction.
Use Hemoban 25% Gel Aluminum Chloride Hemostatic Solution to clean up tissue after tooth preparation and cementation.

^{1. Data on File.}

Final Impression

47% of labs list impression quality as their top challenge with clinicians¹

Precision placement. Choose a delivery system that allows for an ergonomic and accurate capture of the margin. Aquasil Ultra+ material’s digit Targeted Delivery System gets you up to 34% closer to the prepared tooth and is designed to improve delivery from start to finish.
Manage the tissue. While Aquasil Ultra+ material is designed for intraoral hydrophilicity and intraoral tear strength, nothing improves your impression success as much as adequate tissue management. A sulcus clear of fluids and debris sets the tone for final impression success.
Keep natural hydration. Aquasil Ultra+ material is designed to work with the tooth's natural hydration, helping reduce the risk of introducing additional trauma by desiccating the prepared tooth.
Use a timer to know your work time. Ensure your material provides adequate intraoral working time. Higher humidity and temperatures found in the oral cavity increase set speeds of impression materials, minimizing your time and potentially introducing distortion, drags, and pulls. Aquasil Ultra+ material provides an industry leading intraoral work time to allow you adequate working time.

^{1. Some Things Never Change: Inadequate Impressions Still Labs' Biggest Client Headache. LMT State of the Industry Survey, November 2015}

Provisional Crown

Repairs and remakes can cost an office $900 or more a month in lost production¹

Make good proximal contact with the adjacent tooth structure preventing migration of the adjacent tooth to maintain the space for the final restoration.
The look of provisional restorations plays a big role in overall patient satisfaction. Integrity Multi•Cure material is a temporary material with great esthetics.
A smooth polish helps keep the surface resistant to plaque. That way you can make sure the gingival health is maintained. Integrity Multi•Cure material finishes smoothly to help ensure future gingival health.
Save up to 30% procedure time through the dual-cure capability.
Always check the occlusion and occlusal fit to help prevent the remaining tooth structure from supra-erupting.

^{1. Data on File.}

Definitive Cementation: Zirconia Crowns

28% of crown procedures are replacements of existing crowns¹

Calibra Bio bioceramic luting cement should be used with retentive tooth preparations and crown materials suitable for conventional cementation.
With Calibra Bio bioceramic luting cement, there’s no need to use zirconia primer and bonding agents.
Calibra Bio bioceramic luting cement works well with phosphates in the intaglio surface of the zirconia, and will not interfere with cementation. Clean intaglio surface of restoration with ultrasonic steam cleaner or alcohol. Additional use of phosphate cleaning solution is not necessary.

^{1. 2015 The Key Group Omnibus Dental Survey, Quarter 3}

Definitive Cementation: Ceramic Crowns

21% of crown failures are due to secondary caries due, in part, to excess cement¹

85% find the light-curing option a faster way to clean up excess. Success of restoration involves ensuring there is not excess cement left that may cause gingival irritation or inflammation. Improper cleanup due, in part, to excess cement can increase the chances of crown failure.^2,3
Using Prime&Bond elect universal adhesive self-etch on dentin helps to prevent post op sensitivity.⁴
Use tack curing to easily remove excess cement material.
Optional etching of available enamel provides enhanced marginal integrity.

^{1. Morphology and Bacterial Colonization of Tooth/Ceramic Restoration Interface and Different Excess Removal Techniques. Journal of Dentistry 40 (2012) 742-749

2. American Association for Dental Research: Excess-cement cleanup of novel resin-modified glass ionomer cement: tack light-cure option.

3. Mitchell CA, Pintado MR, Geary L, Douglas WH, Retention of adhesive cement on the tooth surface after crown cementation. J Prosthet Dent 1999; 81: 668-667.

4. Based on clinical trials.}

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Tips & Techniques

75% of provisonal pitfalls can derive from the preliminary impression¹

100% greater overall retention can be achieved by placing a post in an endodontically treated tooth¹

89% of dental practitioners feel that adequate tooth preparation will facilitate final restoration success¹

Achieving adequate hemostasis is the #1 challenge during the final impression procedure¹

47% of labs list impression quality as their top challenge with clinicians¹

Repairs and remakes can cost an office $900 or more a month in lost production¹

28% of crown procedures are replacements of existing crowns¹

21% of crown failures are due to secondary caries due, in part, to excess cement¹

Better single-unit crown procedures, step by step

Restorative Specialists

Choose the right workflow solutions for your practice

Want to know more about our Restorative Products?

75% of provisonal pitfalls can derive from the preliminary impression1

100% greater overall retention can be achieved by placing a post in an endodontically treated tooth1

89% of dental practitioners feel that adequate tooth preparation will facilitate final restoration success1

Achieving adequate hemostasis is the #1 challenge during the final impression procedure1

47% of labs list impression quality as their top challenge with clinicians1

Repairs and remakes can cost an office $900 or more a month in lost production1

28% of crown procedures are replacements of existing crowns1

21% of crown failures are due to secondary caries due, in part, to excess cement1

Better single-unit crown procedures, step by step

Restorative Specialists

Choose the right workflow solutions for your practice

Want to know more about our Restorative Products?

75% of provisonal pitfalls can derive from the preliminary impression¹

100% greater overall retention can be achieved by placing a post in an endodontically treated tooth¹

89% of dental practitioners feel that adequate tooth preparation will facilitate final restoration success¹

Achieving adequate hemostasis is the #1 challenge during the final impression procedure¹

47% of labs list impression quality as their top challenge with clinicians¹

Repairs and remakes can cost an office $900 or more a month in lost production¹

28% of crown procedures are replacements of existing crowns¹

21% of crown failures are due to secondary caries due, in part, to excess cement¹