Dental Advice faq from Seattle Area Dentist

Sometimes it is possible to remove a crown without destroying it!... One popular technique is to drill a small hole through the biting surface of the crown and insert a special screw-like appliance which pulls the crown off the tooth. If the dentist is worried about the strength of the tooth or if the cavity is too large, the risk of fracturing the tooth during the procedure may not allow this. In such instances, it is often necessary to cut the crown off, thus destroying it. In some limited instances, it is possible to fill a cavity without removing the crown.