A dental crown is a protective cover shaped like a tooth. It may be made of ceramic or other material and completely hides the tooth under it. The idea is to see that you have a tooth that can help you chew normally again, speak naturally and to restore your comfort, your natural smile, and confidence.
Getting a crown is a procedure that your dentist carries out after making sure that you will be comfortable throughout the procedure and that any pain is minimized as much as possible.
There are several steps involved in placing a dental crown. A foundation is prepared for the crown, which can sometimes cause some pain, but you may be given a local anesthetic to numb the pain anyway. Your dentist files the tooth in preparation for it to receive the crown. He then takes its impressions for the purpose of making a model for the crown. First a temporary crown is put in place and subsequently, the permanent crown is placed.
In each of these steps, there would normally be some pain, but your dentist will ensure that you are comfortable by applying an anesthetic on the gum. Administering local anesthesia will cause you to feel a sudden prick and localized pain. After that the area turns numb and you will not be aware of all the work your dentist goes about doing on your tooth.
Your dentist will determine if you need a root canal treatment in case the tooth has suffered a lot of decay or thinks there is a possibility of infection or injury to the pulp. Root canal treatment can be painful if you are not under local anesthesia. Your dentist will ensure that the area consisting of the tooth and gum is anesthetized before starting the procedure. Root canal treatment is not always necessary and your dentist will tell you if need it at all.
On the whole, you may be right to think that getting a crown would be no more painful than on any other usual visit to the dentist.