Implant crowns

The crown is the visible tooth on top of an implant. It is made from a scan of your implant, so it fits that post and your bite.

What happens

Usually two visits, a few weeks apart, once the implant has healed.

01
Step 1: Check the implant
We check that the implant has healed and is firm, and take an X-ray if we need one.
02
Step 2: Scan the implant
A scan of the implant and the neighboring teeth, not a tray of putty. The crown is made from it.
03
Step 3: Fit the crown
The crown is placed and checked against your bite and your neighbors. We adjust it until it feels right to you.
04
Step 4: Check again
At your next checkup we look at the crown, the gum around it and your bite.

Comfort
Little or no numbing is needed for the final fitting because the crown sits on the implant, not on a nerve. We numb the gum if you ask, and we stop if you want a break. We don't offer sedation in this office.
If you wait or choose differently
An implant with no crown is not a finished tooth, and a gap beside a post can collect food. If you would rather not have a crown on the implant, Dr. Clemons will say what that means for the post and the neighboring teeth.
Risks and after-care
A new crown can feel high or odd for a few days. A screw can loosen, and a crown can chip or come off and need repair or a new one. The gum around an implant can become inflamed, as it can around a natural tooth. Call us if your bite feels wrong or the crown moves.
How it's billed
The crown's fee is in the same written estimate as the implant. A plan may pay part of it or none, depending on its terms; we give you an itemized receipt.
How fees work

It is made by a dental laboratory from the scan of your implant. Dr. Clemons fits it and checks your bite.

We go through the materials with you at the scan visit, including their trade-offs. We don't choose for you.

Yes. If one chips, loosens or wears, we can usually make a new crown for the same implant.

A crown fitted before the bone has joined the implant puts load on it too early. Dr. Clemons tells you from the scan and the X-rays when it is ready.

Dr. Henrietta Clemons, DDS, general dentist, licensed in Illinois.