I've been going to TruSmile for over 10 years. Usually, I just go for dental cleanings, but recently I cracked my tooth and had to get a crown. Based on my recent experience, I felt it deserved a review. Surely, other people who might need a crown would like to know what to expect.
First of all, I called their office to say I just cracked my tooth, I felt pain and asked if they can squeeze me. They were fully booked, but they squeezed me in... which happened to be during Dr. Tsai's lunch time. I felt bad about cutting into his lunch time, but Dr. Tsai made no mentioned about it (that was very nice of him!). The assistant took an x-ray and after he reviewed it, removed the small cracked piece. I was given local anesthesia and the removal was very quick. However, I was told I needed a root canal and was recommended an endodontist.
After the root canal, I went back to Dr. Tsai and he explained he needed to put a post in and fill the missing tooth portion. Surprisingly, you don't need any anesthesia (I was a little skeptical about that). Sure enough, I felt no pain (phew!). When he was done, I tried to feel my tooth with my tongue and it felt very smooth. I couldn't see it since it was my back molar. I was told to avoid chewing on that side.
On my next visit, I was given a temporary crown. This process required anesthesia. I have a decent tolerance to pain (I think), so the multiple areas he had to numb wasn't too bad. After that, Dr. Tsai quickly went to work. I have no idea what exactly he had to do, but I was impressed with how patient and extremely meticulous he was about fitting the temporary crown. After putting it on (before using glue), he had me do a bite test and asked me how it felt. He did that about six times, and adjusted the crown until it felt "normal." It was very interesting how I said it felt a tiny bit off and he shaved it down just the right amount to make it fit perfectly. I've had the temporary crown for a week now and it feels really good! I do have to be careful about chewing on it though, since the glue they used is not the super strong glue and has a possibility of falling off.
One more visit next week to put on my real crown. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm looking forward to it! So far, five stars across the board! I don't know if it's normal practice to see a patient during your lunch time, but that alone deserved five stars. This is my first experience with getting a crown, but I feel strangely comfortable getting it and very relieved how I don't notice it's not 100% my real tooth.
Oh yeah, due to covid measures, they do space the patients out. For all three of my recent visits, I was seen within five minutes of my appointment. That's pretty amazing. I hate waiting. read more