Custom crowns for cracked, worn, or heavily filled teeth, and fixed bridges to replace missing ones — in porcelain, zirconia, or gold, made and fitted by Dr. Shannon Skiba in Jonesboro. Honest recommendations, careful fit, no upselling.
A cracked tooth, a big old filling that is finally failing, or a molar worn down over years — these are the everyday reasons people need a crown, and putting them off usually turns a fixable tooth into a lost one. Cracks spread; a tooth that could be crowned this month may not be saveable next.
We make crowns and bridges in-house, working with a dental laboratory, and Dr. Skiba handles the whole thing — from deciding what the tooth actually needs, through the temporary, to seating and adjusting the final crown so the bite feels right. You see the same dentist the whole way.
Just as importantly, we will tell you when a crown is not warranted — when a filling or a smaller repair will do the job — rather than recommend the bigger treatment by default.
Metal-free crowns that match the color and translucency of a natural tooth — the usual choice for front teeth and anywhere appearance matters. Modern ceramics like zirconia are also strong enough for back teeth, so you rarely have to trade looks for durability anymore.
A porcelain outer layer over a metal core — a long-proven, hard-wearing option that balances strength and a natural look. Often chosen for back teeth that take heavy chewing force.
Extremely durable and gentle on the teeth they bite against, which is why some patients still prefer gold for a back molar. The trade-off is the metal color; Dr. Skiba will talk through where it makes sense. You can read her take on gold vs. porcelain crowns on our blog.
A bridge fills the gap left by a missing tooth by anchoring a replacement tooth to crowns on the healthy teeth on either side. It is fixed in place — not removable like a partial denture — and restores both chewing and a complete-looking smile.
When you would rather not crown the neighboring teeth, a bridge can be supported by dental implants instead. Dr. Skiba handles the crown-and-bridge restoration and coordinates your care; the surgical placement of the implants is done by a trusted oral surgeon we refer to.
A tooth that has had a root canal usually needs a crown afterward to protect it from fracturing. We refer the root canal itself to a trusted endodontist, then restore the tooth with a crown here — so the whole thing gets finished properly.
Dr. Skiba checks the tooth, usually takes an X-ray, and tells you straight whether it genuinely needs a crown or whether a filling or onlay would do. A crown is the right call for a cracked, heavily filled, or worn tooth — but not for every small cavity, and we will say so.
The tooth is shaped so the crown can fit over it, and we take a precise impression or digital scan. This is what the dental lab uses to build a crown that fits your bite exactly.
You leave with a temporary crown protecting the tooth while your custom crown is made. It is not glamorous, but it keeps the tooth comfortable and functional in the meantime.
At the second visit we remove the temporary, check the fit, color, and bite of the permanent crown, and cement it in place. We adjust until it feels right — a crown that sits even slightly high will never be comfortable, so this step matters.
Weighing your options? Compare a crown vs. a veneer, an implant vs. a bridge, or read Dr. Skiba on porcelain vs. gold crowns.
Pain when you bite down or release is a classic sign of a cracked tooth — and it is exactly the situation where seeing someone quickly changes the outcome. Don't wait it out. Call us and describe it; if it is urgent we keep room in the schedule for same-day and next-day visits.
Call (770) 478-1001A crown is a custom cap that covers a damaged tooth to restore its shape, strength, and appearance. It is typically needed when a tooth is cracked, has a large or failing filling, is badly worn, or has had a root canal — situations where a simple filling would not hold. Dr. Skiba will tell you honestly whether your tooth truly needs a crown or whether a smaller repair will do.
A filling repairs a small-to-moderate cavity by filling the hole; the tooth keeps most of its own structure. A crown covers and holds together a tooth that has lost too much structure for a filling to be safe — for example a cracked tooth or one with a very large old filling. Put simply: fillings patch, crowns cap and protect the whole tooth.
The main options are all-ceramic or zirconia (metal-free, most natural-looking, and now strong enough for back teeth), porcelain-fused-to-metal (a proven balance of strength and appearance), and gold or metal alloy (extremely durable and gentle on opposing teeth, but metal-colored). Dr. Skiba will recommend based on which tooth it is, how much force it takes, and how much appearance matters to you.
Usually two. At the first visit the tooth is prepared, an impression or scan is taken, and a temporary crown is placed while the dental lab makes your permanent one. At the second visit, a couple of weeks later, the permanent crown is fitted, adjusted, and cemented. We do not currently offer same-day milled crowns, so we plan the two visits around your schedule.
The procedure itself is done with the tooth fully numbed, so you should not feel pain during it. Some mild sensitivity or tenderness for a few days afterward is normal, especially around the gum, and it usually settles. If a crowned tooth stays sensitive or the bite feels high, tell us — that is an easy adjustment, not something to live with.
With good home care and regular checkups, crowns and bridges commonly last many years — often a decade or more, and sometimes far longer. Lifespan depends on the material, the bite, grinding habits, and how well the tooth and gum underneath are kept healthy. We check your existing crowns and bridges at every visit so a small problem is caught before it becomes a big one.
A bridge replaces a missing tooth by anchoring a replacement to crowns on the two neighboring teeth; it is fixed in place. An implant replaces the missing tooth with a titanium root and crown without touching the neighbors, and lasts longest, but involves surgery. A partial denture is removable and the most accessible option. Dr. Skiba will lay out the honest trade-offs for your situation — you can also compare dental implant vs. bridge and dentures vs. implants on our site.
Not at this time — we use traditional lab-made crowns, which means two visits with a temporary crown in between. The upside is a crown crafted and checked carefully to fit your bite; the downside is the short wait. We are upfront about that rather than overpromising.
When a tooth needs a root canal before it can be crowned, we refer the root canal to a trusted endodontist — a specialist in that procedure — and then restore the tooth with a crown here once it is done. That way each part is handled by the right hands and the tooth is finished properly.
Care for them like natural teeth: brush twice a day, and clean under a bridge daily with floss threaders or a small interdental brush, since food and plaque collect there. Avoid chewing ice or very hard objects that can crack any crown. On coverage: many dental plans contribute toward crowns and bridges, though amounts, annual maximums, and waiting periods vary. We file claims as a courtesy and can submit a pre-treatment estimate for larger work so you know where you stand first. We are not in HMO or managed-care networks.
Patients come to us for crowns and bridges from across the south metro — an easy trip for the two short visits a crown takes.
Start with an exam and an honest recommendation — we will tell you what the tooth really needs, and what it doesn't.
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