Dental crowns can restore your beautiful and healthy smile

At Del Mar Family Dentistry, we understand that problems can happen with a smile unexpectedly. Maybe you had an infected tooth that required root canal therapy, or perhaps a tooth broke or cracked when eating a hard candy. Affected teeth need to be protected from further damage, and this is often when we tell our Solana Beach, California, area patients about solutions such as dental crowns. Dental crowns play an important role in general and restorative dentistry.

What are dental crowns?

Sometimes, the top of the tooth must be covered due to decay or fracture. This may require the fabrication and placement of a crown. Essentially, a crown is a replica of the top part of your tooth which strengthens and protects the rest of your tooth. It is used to:

  • Repair a broken or cracked tooth
  • Cover a tooth with a large filling
  • Protect a tooth after root canal therapy (endodontic therapy)
  • Cover the abutment of dental implants to replace a single tooth
  • Bond to false teeth (pontics) to fabricate a fixed dental bridge

Are crowns suitable for you?

If you have cracked your tooth, you will likely need a crown to restore the tooth and protect it from further damage. However, there may be alternatives to a porcelain or zirconia crown. Sometimes, a large filling or onlay can suffice. But it is best to discuss the options with your dentist at our practice.

CEREC Crowns with Dr. Fitzpatrick – A Perfect Smile in One Visit

CEREC Crowns with Dr. Fitzpatrick – A Perfect Smile in One Visit Video expalined

Hi, I am Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick Delmar Family Dentistry. We love to offer our patients customized care in a quality environment. One of those procedures that we do offer is same day crowns. What we can do is if you have a broken tooth that we can’t restore with just a filling, we can actually scan your tooth with this scanning device, we can mill your tooth out of this porcelain block, and then we can actually make the crown out of this block from this design here and get it seated in the same day. You don’t have to leave with a temporary, you don’t have to worry about it popping off. We can make sure that the shade is perfect and that it was cemented in place to restore that natural tooth.


What types of crowns are there?

Crowns are made from about seven to eight major materials, including ceramic, metal, porcelain, resin, zirconia, and hybrids. They have advantages and disadvantages, so talking with a dentist about your options is the first step in choosing the correct material for your tooth cap.

What is CEREC, and How Long Does A Crown Take?

CEREC allows us to 3-D print your crown out of a porcelain material. In general, a porcelain crown will be completed in 1 visit, approximately 2 hours, utilizing one of our most advanced technologies, the CEREC Primemill Machine. Some situations and materials require your crown to go to a dental lab.

Schedule time to talk to us about your restorative dentistry needs!

During your visit to Del Mar Family Dentistry, we will discuss the benefits and disadvantages and find an option that works for your specific case. We invite you to call our office at (858) 360-3102 to request a time to speak to Drs. Dale Trudeau, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Nikko Johnson, and Erik Balinghasay about this and other restorative solutions designed to repair broken or cracked teeth. Our practice is located in Solana Beach, CA, at 625 Valley Avenue, and serves those in the communities of Fairbanks Ranch, Oceanside, Carmel Valley, Encinitas, and Carlsbad, CA.

Dr. Dale Trudeau

Dr. Dale Trudeau

Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick

Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick

Dr. Nikko Johnson

Dr. Nikko Johnson

Dr. Erik Balinghasay

Dr. Erik Balinghasay


Del Mar Family Dentistry is served by four experienced and talented physicians: Drs. Dale Trudeau, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Nikko Johnson, and Erik Balinghasay.

Dr. Dale Trudeau has served the community of Del Mar and Solana Beach since 1984. He is a graduate and former instructor at USC School of Dentistry and has completed many hours of advanced training in restorative, cosmetic, implant dentistry, and Invisalign. He is a member of the American Dental Association (ADA), California Dental Association (CDA), San Diego County Dental Society (SDCDS), and American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Dr. Trudeau is active in the community and volunteers at many local charities and youth organizations.

Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick is a graduate of Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) in San Diego and Loma Linda University, School of Dentistry. He is a Research Associate at PLNU, YMCA, and Foundation for Worldwide Health, along with being a member of the ADA, CDA, Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), and SDCDS. Dr. Fitzpatrick has a passion to provide sustainable dental services to underserved communities both locally and globally. In 2013 he founded Cura Coffee Company to help fund the non-profit work of Cura Smiles. This non-profit has been able to build a dental clinic in the diverse community of City Heights, San Diego to help serve the underserved in their dental needs.

Connect with Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick on Linkedin


Dr. Nikko Johnson is a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma University College of Dentistry. After completing her dental residency, she practiced as a general dentist in Oklahoma and North Carolina before obtaining her Master of Science in Periodontology from the University Of Detroit Mercy School Of Dentistry. Among her competencies are prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of periodontal diseases and treatment modalities with advanced oral plastic surgeries. She has had the honor of providing dental care to veterans for many years.

Dr. Erik Balinghasay is a graduate of the University of California San Diego(UCSD) and University of California Los Angeles(UCLA), School of Dentistry. Upon graduating from UCLA, he pursued advanced speciality training in Endodontics, the dental specialty related to root canals, at the University of Washington in Seattle. He is a Board-Certified Endodontist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics.