Every curve and contour is painstakingly handcrafted by our artisans for optimal fit, aesthetics and function.  


For Patients


We understand that undergoing smile-changing dental procedures can be a nerve-racking experience. Knowledge of the processes involved with a dental procedure will ease the patient's apprehension and concerns.

Addressing these procedures on this site is from the dental laboratory perspective as they pertain to the patient.

Note: All dental restorations are made from a licensed dentist's prescription only, not direct to the patient.

Crown (cap) - A lab-made replacement of the visible part of a natural tooth. It fits over the remaining tooth structure, referred to as a "prep" or prepared tooth, after the dentist removes the diseased or decayed areas with a dental drill. Crowns are permanently cemented in place.

Bridge - A lab-made restoration that spans one or more missing teeth. Like a connected row of crowns, a bridge fits over preps on each side of the missing tooth with a full, tooth-shaped crown in the middle. Bridges can cover many teeth and span multiple and alternating missing teeth. A bridge is permanently cemented.

Porcelain veneer - A thin porcelain layer (veneer) bonded to the front of a tooth to improve or correct shade and minor misalignment of the front teeth. A conservative approach to changing your smile, the dentist needs only to remove a small amount of tooth enamel for this restoration.

Impression - A liquid silicone-type material is placed in an arch-shaped tray and pushed over all the teeth, then allowed to set up to a firm state. This captures an exact mold of the patient's teeth including the prep. The lab makes a model (replica) of the patient's teeth from this mold for fabrication of the crown. Your dentist will also take an impression of the opposing teeth to make the correct bite on the crown.

Each restoration is individually handmade for the specific patient using the model of the impression provided by the dentist.

Types of crowns and bridges (restorations)

Porcelain fused to metal (PFM) - The most common restorations are porcelain fused to gold, where tooth-colored porcelain is baked onto a white gold, thimble-shaped cap. Strong and reliable, PFM's have been in wide use since the 1940s and earlier. PFM's can be used for single crowns and bridges of all sizes.

Full gold crown - A solid gold tooth-shaped crown usually for back teeth. With nothing to break or wear out, they are very long lasting. But much less popular, as most patients prefer not to have metal in their mouth. Can be used for single crowns and bridges and is permanently cemented.

Metal-free crowns - This restoration class is rapidly replacing the PFM. An all-ceramic crown is a solid porcelain tooth bonded to the original tooth structure. There are several methods and technologies to make these. The most widely used is the pressed ceramic crown (in use for 20-plus years), with the most popular trade name being the Empress TM crown or veneer. Pressed crowns appear very natural because light passes through them just like natural teeth. Pressed crowns and veneers are for individual tooth restorations, and are not strong enough for bridges.

Metal-free bridges and crowns - All-ceramic milled bridge frameworks are becoming popular as their strength and reliability are proven. These frameworks are milled out of a solid block of zirconia ceramic by CAD/CAM methods. They are strong as steel and natural in appearance, as the ceramic frame is tooth-colored. The framework is covered with tooth-shaded porcelain like the PFM to mimic natural teeth. They can be used for multiple tooth bridges and single crowns. We expect this restoration type to become the most popular in the future.

Procedures for restorations

Crowns and bridges

Once you and your dentist have decided to use a crown or bridge to restore your diseased or broken teeth:
  1. The area around the affected tooth is first numbed. Then the tooth is drilled down to a stump to allow enough space for the lab to rebuild your new crown or bridge.
  2. An impression is taken of both upper and lower teeth, plus an imprint is made of your bite. Then a shade match is selected for your teeth.
  3. Your dentist writes a prescription for your restoration and sends it along with your impressions and bite imprint to O'Daniel Dental Ceramics, where your restoration will be handcrafted for optimal fit, function and aesthetics.
  4. Once at the Lab your restoration is hand made by our highly skilled technicians. The completed restoration is returned to your dentist ready to be cemented in place.
Special Procedures

For patients who need a crown under their existing partial denture Most reliable accuracy

  1. Impression taken with partial fully seated in mouth, picked up in impression tray. Partial remains in impression and is sent to lab along with bite and opposing for processing case. Patient must be without their partial for about a week.
    1. Patient may pickup partial from lab after model work is complete (1 or 2 days), but must return partial to lab for processing of crown to continue.
    Less accurate__________________________________________
  2. Impression of prep and opposing taken without partial.The dentist takes a mini impression of the partial clasp involved with your crown. Lab processes case,while patient continues to wear partial denture.
  3. Impression of prep opposing and bite taken and sent to lab. Model work is completed and when ready patient gives up partial which is sent to lab and fit to model for completion of case work.
 
          ©2008 O'Daniel