Crown Preparation Notes Template for UK Dentists

Pre-op vitality is an easily missed entry in crown prep notes — and a valuable record if the tooth dies six months later. Below is a template for UK clinicians to paste into their PMS for the crown prep visit.

Why this crown preparation template wins

• Pre-op vitality recorded — a key defensive entry. If the tooth dies post-prep and vitality wasn't recorded, the prep is presumed the cause.
• Reduction amounts noted explicitly — defends you against "over-prepared" claims and provides a lab-quality check.
• Pulp proximity assessment + explicit RCT risk discussion in consent — Montgomery-defensible against "I wasn't warned" claims if the tooth needs endo later.
• Lab prescription line includes MDR statement-of-conformity reminder — MDR 2017 traceability requirement.
• Temporary cement specified — non-eugenol when resin cement is planned for the definitive — prevents the most common cement-incompatibility failure.

The template (paste into your PMS notes field)

Paste the crown preparation template below into your PMS notes field. Patient demographics are left out because your PMS already holds them.

TOOTH: [FDI]
INDICATION: [Failing restoration / fracture / 2° caries / endodontic protection / aesthetic]

PRE-OP ASSESSMENT:
- Vitality: [Cold / EPT — response]   Percussion: [+/-]   Mobility: [Grade]
- Periodontal: [BoP / pocket / recession]
- Occlusal space: [Articulating paper — pre-op contacts noted]
- Existing restoration: [Type / extent / status]
- Caries: [Present / removed pre-prep]
- Pulp distance: [Estimated / radiograph reviewed]
- Photographs: [Pre-op taken — Y/N]

SHADE SELECTION: [Shade guide — VITA Classical / VITA 3D-Master / other]
Shade: [__] (recorded under natural light)
Stump shade recorded: [If aesthetic zone or all-ceramic]

CONSENT (Montgomery): Risks discussed — post-op sensitivity, possibility of pulpal involvement requiring RCT (likelihood: low/mod/high based on pulp proximity), debonding, fracture (porcelain vs metal-ceramic vs zirconia trade-offs discussed), longevity (5-15yr typical), aesthetic mismatch. Benefit: restore tooth function + appearance, prevent further fracture. Alternative: extraction + bridge/implant/no Tx. Patient understands and consents.

LA: [Agent — volume — technique]. Profound anaesthesia confirmed.

PREPARATION:
- Type: [PFM / all-ceramic (e.max / zirconia) / full gold]
- Reduction: [Occlusal __ mm / axial __ mm / incisal __ mm]
- Margin design: [Chamfer / shoulder / shoulder with bevel]
- Margin position: [Supragingival / equigingival / subgingival]
- Anti-rotation features: [Grooves / boxes if needed]
- Bur sequence: [Diamond — round-ended / flat-ended]

GINGIVAL MANAGEMENT: [Retraction cord — single/double / type / haemostatic agent]

IMPRESSION / SCAN:
- Method: [Conventional (material) / digital scan (system)]
- Bite registration: [Method]
- Opposing: [Existing in PMS / new impression / scan]

TEMPORARY:
- Material: [Bis-acryl / acrylic / preformed shell]
- Cement: [Temp-Bond / Provicol — non-eugenol if cementing resin crown later]
- Occlusion: [Articulating paper — checked]

LAB PRESCRIPTION: [Lab name — work prescribed: crown type, shade, margin design, special instructions]. MDR statement of conformity to be retained on file when work returns.

POST-OP ADVICE: LA wearing off in 2-3h. Sensitivity expected to cold/biting for 1-2 weeks. Avoid hard chewing on temporary. Contact if temporary debonds or pain develops.

FIT APPOINTMENT BOOKED: [Date]

Try the crown preparation note in the live demo → No account needed.

What good looks like — a worked example

The same crown preparation template, completed for a realistic case.

TOOTH: UL6
INDICATION: Failing MOD amalgam (placed >15 yr ago) with mesial 2° caries on BW. Cusp fracture (mesial-buccal). Endodontic protection considered — currently vital but heavily restored.

PRE-OP ASSESSMENT:
- Vitality: Cold (Endo-Ice) — brief response, resolves. EPT — response at 22.   Percussion: -   Mobility: Grade 0
- Periodontal: BoP -, no pocketing
- Occlusal space: Articulating paper — solid contact in ICP, working-side contact on cusps
- Existing restoration: Large MOD amalgam (~60% of crown structure)
- Caries: Mesial 2° caries — to be removed at prep
- Pulp distance: BW reviewed — restoration close to pulp, ~1mm clearance
- Photographs: Pre-op taken (clinical and shade)

SHADE SELECTION: VITA Classical. Body: A2. Cervical: A3. Recorded under natural light at chairside.
Stump shade: Not required (PFM planned, not all-ceramic).

CONSENT (Montgomery): Risks discussed in detail — post-op sensitivity (common, settles), possibility of pulpal involvement requiring RCT (likelihood ~10-15% given pulp proximity — explicitly discussed), debonding, porcelain chip, longevity (typical 10-15yr for PFM with good OH). Benefit: protect cusp-weakened tooth, restore function. Alternative: leave as is (high fracture risk), extraction + implant (more costly, longer Tx). Patient elects PFM crown. Verbalised understanding of RCT risk and consented.

LA: Articaine 4% w/ adrenaline 1:100,000, 1.7ml buccal infiltration UL6. Profound anaesthesia confirmed.

PREPARATION:
- Type: PFM
- Reduction: Occlusal 2mm / axial 1.5mm / no incisal (posterior)
- Margin design: Chamfer
- Margin position: Equigingival buccal / supragingival palatal
- Bur sequence: TR-13 round-ended diamond for axial, football diamond for occlusal

GINGIVAL MANAGEMENT: Single cord (Ultrapak #00) packed buccal sulcus. No haemostatic agent needed.

IMPRESSION / SCAN:
- Method: Digital scan (TRIOS 5)
- Bite registration: Digital
- Opposing: Scanned

TEMPORARY:
- Material: Bis-acryl (Protemp 4, shade A2)
- Cement: Temp-Bond (non-eugenol given resin cement planned for definitive)
- Occlusion: Articulating paper — slight relief in ICP, no excursive contacts. Patient confirms comfortable.

LAB PRESCRIPTION: Lab — Generic Dental Lab. Work prescribed: 1 unit PFM crown UL6, shade A2 body / A3 cervical, chamfer margin, metal-supported palatal aspect, occlusal porcelain coverage. Special instructions: aim for tight mesial contact (open contact pre-op). MDR statement of conformity to be retained when work returns.

POST-OP ADVICE: LA wearing off in 2-3h — avoid hot food until sensation returns. Sensitivity expected to cold/biting for 1-2 weeks. Avoid hard chewing on temporary. Contact if temporary debonds or significant pain develops.

FIT APPOINTMENT BOOKED: 2 weeks.

Compliance: the medico-legal angle

• CGDent Clinical Examination and Record-Keeping (3rd ed) — restorative records must capture indication, reduction, margin design, impression, temporary, lab prescription.
• MDR 2017 — Medical Devices Regulation. Custom-made dental devices (crowns, bridges) require a statement of conformity retained for 10 years.
• Montgomery v Lanarkshire — material risk disclosure. RCT risk for heavily restored teeth is well-documented and must be discussed.
• GDC Principle 4 — operative records must be complete enough that another clinician can continue the case.

Common documentation mistakes

• NO pre-op vitality test recorded — indefensible if the tooth dies after prep.
• Reduction amount not noted — leaves room for "over-prepared, killed the pulp" claims.
• No RCT risk discussed for heavily restored teeth — Montgomery breach.
• Eugenol-containing temporary cement used when resin cement is planned for the definitive crown — causes bond failure at fit.
• No lab prescription on file or MDR statement of conformity not retained — MDR 2017 breach.

Sources

• GDC Standards for the Dental Team, Principle 4: Maintain and protect patients’ information (accessed 18 October 2026)
• CGDent: Clinical Examination and Record-Keeping, Good Practice Guidelines (3rd edition) (accessed 18 October 2026)
• Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board (UK Supreme Court, 2015, UKSC 11) (accessed 18 October 2026)

Frequently asked questions

Patient leaflets for this treatment

• After Your Crown or Bridge Fitting
• Your Guide to Dental Crowns

Related dental note templates

Browse the full set of free dental notes templates.