Everything you need to know about Dental Crowns

Berry Mathew

Updated on:

Everything you need to know about Dental Crowns

Crowns are commonly used as dental restorations in cosmetic dentistry and are placed over the rest of the original tooth or used as a cap for dental implants. Dental crowns are made from a variety of materials including:

  • Porcelain (commonly used as straight porcelain crowns for front teeth, but not as strong as bonded crowns)
  • Porcelain fused to metal
  • Ceramic crowns that have a porcelain appearance and bond strength are suitable for any oral condition
  • Very tough wear available in gold alloy, gold or white.

Crowns are routinely used when teeth are fractured, massively lost due to tooth decay, or excessively worn. Crowns are moulded in a dental laboratory and, unlike root filings, act as reinforcement for the rest of the root tooth. Composite veneers are also a good option to restore the teeth. 

Have a perfect smile with Dental Crowns

More and more people are turning to cosmetic dentistry to create a perfect smile, more widely used to improve the appearance of healthy teeth. This is a practice that is not fully supported in the dental industry because a portion of the original tooth has to be ground down to fit the crown into place.

When very little of the original tooth remains, a post may need to be inserted into the root canal and cemented before the crown can be fitted. The post will add support and help the dental crown stay in place.

Dental crowns are made in a laboratory to fit a crown, so 2 visits to the dentist are required. Initially your dentist will take an impression of your teeth and if necessary, give you a temporary crown. The new crown will be fitted after 1 – 2 weeks and fixed using dental cement.

Crowns are matched to the exact colour of your own teeth and will look completely natural. You will be aware of this yourself for a few days after the crown is fitted but this will be short-lived.

How do the dental crowns last?

The life of a crown depends on the level of dental care. Many people say that a crown will last 7 – 10 years but if a crown is well cared for it can last much longer. Crowns are extremely tough and durable to wear but will not prevent further decay of the original tooth!

The cost of dental crowns is usually covered by dental insurance if they are used for restorative purposes. If you use any type of cosmetic dentistry, including dental crowns, you usually have to cover the cost yourself.

Cost of dental crowns

Depending on the restoration needs and the materials used, a dental crown will cost between $500 and $1,100. The cost of dental crowns can also be based on the experienced of the dentists and the material used for dental restoration. The crowns made from porcelain are costlier than the standard stainless-steel crowns. You can also consider your desired metal like silver of gold for crowning. Remember the cost of the material used to prepare the crown directly depends on your overall dental crowning process.