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Can a crown really be done in one day?
The 90 minutes of a one-day crown · Seongmo Dental Clinic, Sungshin Women’s University Station · Board-certified specialist in Integrated Dentistry
💡 The short answer. Yes. Because scanning, design, milling, firing and bonding are all handled in-house, a one-day crown at Seongmo Dental Clinic takes about 1 hour 30 minutes from preparation to final bonding. The impression, the temporary tooth, the two-week wait and the second visit disappear entirely. Teeth still undergoing root canal treatment, or with gum condition not yet settled, complete that stage first.
Contents
How can it be finished in one day?
Because there is no travel time to and from a dental laboratory. The sequence at Seongmo Dental Clinic and the approximate time for each step are as follows.
- Painless anaesthesia and tooth preparation — 20 to 30 minutes
- Primescan intraoral scan — 1 to 2 minutes, with no impression material to bite on
- Design — 10 to 15 minutes, matching the biting surface using data from the opposing and adjacent teeth
- Primemill milling — 10 to 15 minutes, cutting the ceramic block
- SpeedFire firing — 15 to 20 minutes, crystallising the ceramic and applying the shade
- Try-in and bonding — 15 to 20 minutes
Together, about 1 hour 30 minutes. During milling and firing you can rest in the waiting room. Our actual record is in the overlay case finished in 1 hour 30 minutes.
Is the quality the same for a crown made in a day?
The material is the same. The blocks milled in-house are the same lithium disilicate ceramic and zirconia used in dental laboratories. Making it quickly does not mean using a weaker material.
Precision is no different either. A digital scan has no stage at which impression material distorts or a stone model expands. Several studies report that the fit of digital impressions is equal to or better than that of conventional impressions.
The real advantage of in-house fabrication is elsewhere. The person who prepared the tooth designs it, matches the shade to the adjacent teeth and adjusts the contact point on the spot. There is no error introduced by conveying instructions to a laboratory through photographs and notes.
When can it not be done in one day?
- A tooth still in the disinfection stage of root canal treatment — we proceed after the seal is complete
- A tooth with heavy bleeding from gum inflammation — the margin scan would not be accurate, so gum treatment comes first
- Front teeth with a demanding shade — if additional adjustment against the adjacent teeth is needed, a separate appointment is arranged
- Zirconia blocks — same-day availability varies by type, and we advise on this at consultation
Even in these cases the work still proceeds by scan without an impression. Finishing accurately comes before finishing in a day.
What is the benefit of skipping the temporary crown?
There is no second anaesthetic. There is no rushed visit because a temporary tooth broke or came off. The prepared tooth surface is exposed to saliva and bacteria for zero days. Immediately after root canal treatment, the sealed tooth is covered right away, so there is no window for reinfection. For someone working, one half-day off is enough.
What about cost and warranty?
Crowns are non-covered and the cost differs by material. Amounts by material are published on the non-covered fee guide.
Our warranty differs by material. Lithium disilicate ceramic crowns carry 4 years and zirconia crowns 1 year, covering defects in the material itself for patients who keep their regular check-ups. External factors such as trauma are excluded.
Seongmo Dental Clinic has Primescan 2 and Primescan Connect (two scanners), Primemill, SpeedFire and CBCT in-house. Equipment specifications are on the equipment page, and same-day prosthetics in general on the digital same-day prosthetics and one-day crown pages. 30 seconds on foot from Exit 2 of Sungshin Women’s University Station, 02-922-3966.
Frequently asked questions
What material is a one-day crown made of?
Lithium disilicate ceramic blocks are the default, and zirconia blocks are used depending on the site and the occlusion. The materials are the same as those used for laboratory-made crowns.
I am having a root canal — can the crown be done the same day?
On the day the root canal reaches the sealing stage, the crown can be completed the same day. If disinfection stages remain, those are finished first.
How long does a one-day crown last?
It depends on the material and on care, but ceramic crowns carry a 4-year warranty on the basis of regular check-ups. Zirconia crowns carry 1 year.
Can I walk in without an appointment and get a crown the same day?
About 1 hour 30 minutes is needed from preparation to bonding, so an appointment is required. Call 02-922-3966 or book through Naver and we will confirm together whether same-day treatment is possible.
Related information
Seongmo Dental Clinic opened in 1998. I have held this position as the third director since April 2022, and I have one standard for choosing equipment: if I would not use it on my own family, I do not use it on my patients. One more scanner must not mean more treatment. If anything, it should mean cutting less, extracting less and finishing in one visit, from a more accurate original. The goal is not to be first with new equipment, but to offer the better of what is possible today to the patient sitting in the chair.
📍 3rd floor, 2 Dongsomun-ro 20ga-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul
🚉 30-second walk from Exit 2, Sungshin Women’s University Station (Parking: up to 2 hours at Utah Mall)
📞 +82-2-922-3966
📅 Mon/Wed/Fri 09:30–18:30 · Tue 09:30–20:00 (evening clinic) · Sat 09:30–14:30 (no lunch break) · Weekday lunch 13:00–14:30 · Closed Thu, Sun and public holidays
💬 Booking and enquiries: Naver Booking · Naver Talk · KakaoTalk channel · English page
🟡 Opened in 1998; third-generation director in charge of care since April 2022
⚕️ This article was written for information purposes in line with Korean medical law and the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s medical advertising standards. Equipment specifications given here come from the manufacturer’s official material and the figures on accuracy and comfort are values reported in academic literature; the outcome and course of individual treatment vary with the condition of the mouth. Please decide on a specific diagnosis and treatment plan after consulting your treating clinician.
This article was written as of August 2026. Equipment specifications and cost-related content are reviewed and updated every three months.