Behind the Scenes: Molding Your Smile At Granite City Dental Lab [VIDEO]

ST. CLOUD -- This week in our "Behind the Scenes" series on WJON, we find out how to make crowns for your teeth at Granite City Dental Lab.

Whether by mail or just walking through the door, the team at Granite City Dental Lab is ready to add that missing piece to your smile.

Owner Bill Young says their day starts by making impressions of your mouth.

"So once we pour that impression we make the teeth segments removable and the segment that is going to be a crown is removed," says Young.

The impressions are then sent to a computer where a digital image of your teeth needed the crown are made.

"We take the same model we just saw and now have turned it into a digital image," says Young.

Then it's off to the 3D printer or milling machine.

"So right now what they are milling is a wax that will more than likely become a gold crown," says Young.

The wax models are then placed over a dental stone and heated as the wax forms to the stone in the shape of your tooth.

Once the crown is formed it's then time for the detailed part of the job.

"So the technician is in the process of starting to carve in the detail," says Young.

Each crown is hand crafted and painted to match the tooth. After which a glaze is applied to give the tooth it's shine.

"And the finished product will come out of a computer generated furnace," says Young.

Young says it can take about three to five days to craft the crown, then it's boxed and ready to add to your smile.