Stop Worrying About Your Smile And Renovate It With Dental Crowns
A Dental Crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” that is placed over a tooth — to cover the tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, and improve its appearance. The crowns, when cemented into place, fully encase the entire visible portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line. There has been many questions when it comes to the procedure and the cost of dental crowns. Stop worrying about your smile and renovate it with dental crowns.
Why Is a Dental Crown Needed?
There are several reasons why a dental crown might be made for a tooth. Dentists routinely use them to:
- Repair and strengthen damaged teeth.
- Improve tooth appearance (including color, shape and even apparent alignment).
- While some other treatment alternatives do exist, no other kind of dental restoration provides the exact same set of benefits and advantages as a crown.
What Type of Tooth Crowns Are Available?
Getting a crown on your tooth can be made from stainless steel, all metal (such as gold or another alloy), porcelain-fused-to-metal, all resin, or all ceramic.
- Ceramic — These are used for restoring front teeth, and are popular in this area for their ability to blend with your natural tooth color. The crown is made of a porcelain-based material.
- Porcelain-Fused to Metal – This crown provides a stronger bond than regular porcelain because it is connected to a metal structure. It’s also extremely durable.
- Gold Alloys – This crown is a mix of gold, copper and other metals. In addition to providing a strong bond to the tooth, it doesn’t fracture, nor does it wear away the tooth itself.
- Base Metal Alloys – This crown is made up of non-noble metals that are highly resistant to corrosion, and make for a very strong crown. It also requires the least amount of healthy tooth to be removed prior to fitting.
- All-Resin dental crowns are less expensive than other crown types. However, they wear down over time and are more prone to fractures than porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.
- Stainless Steel crowns are prefabricated crowns that are used on permanent teeth primarily as a temporary measure. The crown protects the tooth or filling while a permanent crown is made from another material.
What Steps Are Involved in Preparing a Tooth for a Crown?
At least two dental visits are typically needed for getting a crown on your tooth.
- The purpose of the first dental visit is to examine and prepare the tooth that is to be crowned and create an impression of the tooth so that the crown can be constructed. A temporary crown to protect the tooth is also usually placed during this visit.
- In the second visit, which occurs once a dental laboratory has constructed the crown, the temporary crown can be removed and the permanent custom-made crown fixed in place.
#1 Investigation, Tooth Reshaping, Impression and Temporary Crown
During the first dental visit, an X-ray is usually taken of the tooth and jawbone to investigate for signs of decay and other factors that could increase the risk of infection or injury to the pulp of the tooth. For some patients, root canal treatment may be required prior to the placement of a crown on a tooth.
The tooth will need to be shaped to allow room for the crown to be placed; the extent of reshaping will depend on the type of crown being used. Metal-based crowns tend to be thinner and, therefore, require the removal of less structure of the tooth than porcelain crowns. The top and sides of the tooth are filed down to shape the tooth as needed for the crown. Any tooth decay should also be treated during this step.
#2 Permanent Crown Placement
In the meantime, the impressions of the teeth are sent to a dental technician or laboratory to form the crown in the correct shape. This process typically takes up to three weeks, which is why more than one dental visit is needed to place a permanent crown correctly.
Once the dental technician or laboratory has created the crown, it is time for the crown to be placed over the tooth. If a temporary crown has been placed, this should first be removed. It is important to check that the crown has been made correctly, ensuring that both the fit and the color of the crown match that of the natural and surrounding teeth before it is cemented in.
A local anesthetic is usually administered to numb the area during the procedure to fit the crown. Dental cement is utilized to fix the crown in place over the tooth. It may be necessary to make small adjustments to the shape of the crown, particularly if there are problems with the patient’s bite when the crown meets the opposite tooth.
Same-Day Crowns Placement Procedure
In some cases, crowns may be constructed in the dental practice so that the crown can be made and placed on the same day, without the need to send the impressions to a dental laboratory.
Rather than making an impression of the tooth, a scanning device called a wand is used to take pictures of the teeth. These images are uploaded into computer software that creates a 3D model of the tooth. This digital model can then be used to create a ceramic crown the same day. This method is known as computer-aided design and manufacture of dental crowns (CAD/CAM) and can be completed in approximately 15 minutes so that the crown can quickly be put in place.
How Much Does A Dental Crown Cost?
The concept of a dental crown covering a damaged tooth or restoring a dental implant is simple enough, but the variables involved in the process make it a unique experience for every patient, and no two price tags are alike. Dental Crown Pricing depends on
- The preparation required,
- Number of dental crowns needed,
- The material used to make the crown, and
- Other factors can cause the price to vary from patient to patient.
Generally, tooth crowns can range in cost from $500 to $2500 per crown. Although most insurance carriers cover at least part of the cost of dental crowns, the price of treatment may be a factor when reviewing your options for care. The surest way to find out how much you can expect to pay for dental crowns is to schedule a consultation with a Top Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Saj Jivraj. Be wary of choosing the cheapest dentist and crown material, as this may reflect a lower quality of service and cost you more time, discomfort, and expense in the long term.
ABOUT YOUR OXNARD, CA, COSMETIC DENTIST:
We look forward to providing families with exceptional care and advanced treatment options. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Jivraj contact our Oxnard, CA, dental office today by calling 805-988-3320. Our office welcomes patients in and around Oxnard, CA, including Santa Barbara, Woodland Hills, Ventura, and the surrounding Southern California communities.