Dental Crowns - A Consumer's Guide

A crown is a cap that typically completely covers a single tooth and adds strength, stability and durability to an otherwise weakened structure. It can be made out of gold or ceramic and is typically fitted by a dentist in one or two visits.



Crowns tend to be quite expensive, with US pricing ranging from $600 to $3,000, and therefore individuals are increasingly looking to other destinations to cut down the cost. In addition there have been several advances in the field with newer porcelain crowns offering a better cosmetic appearance and only requiring a single visit.

You might need a crown if:

A lot of your tooth has decayed and there isn't enough tooth structure to fill in the same way that small cavities are filled
A large section of your tooth has fractured off
You have a large cavity and are opting for the addition protection that a crown offers against fracture and decay
You have implants and are opting for crowns to be fitted
If you have had a root canal on one of your rear teeth then a crown is typically required to strengthen the tooth
If you want a better smile but veneers/implants are not appropriate
Grinding or acid erosion has significantly reduced the tooth
There are a number of options to consider if you decide to get a crown fitted:

Full Gold Crowns

Even though these are called full gold, they are normally an alloy of various metals. Check with your dentist that the 'gold' they are using contains at least 75% noble metal. Gold crowns are typically made by taking a wax impression and having the crown fabricated in a laboratory and then fitted in a latter visit. As gold crowns require at least two visits to a dentist, many dental tourists opt for the ceramic variety. However, it should be noted that many dentists still regard full gold crowns as being superior in the long term.

Porcelain Fused To Metal Crowns

In order to achieve a more natural look on visible teeth, porcelain can be fused to metal crowns. This is a different process to full gold crowns as more of the original tooth needs to be removed in order to make space for the porcelain. Although gold can be used, normally a different metal alloy is used because of the intense heat of the fabrication process. The latest and most expensive material used is zirconium oxide.

Porcelain Crowns

There are two main types of porcelain crown. The traditional variety is felspathic and is created in a lab making porcelain. The newer type is created by a single ingot and can be created by specialised equipment in the dentist's surgery. This makes porcelain crowns particularly attractive to the dental tourist as they can be completed in a single visit.

Procera Alumina and Procera Zirconia

Procera is a brand name for natural looking crown created by covering an alumina or zirconia core with ceramic. The crown is created by computer aided manufacturing rather than the traditional casting process. Studies by Noble Biocare, the producers of Procera, have shown a very high success rate over 5 and 10 years.

CERAC

Cerac is the current leader in computer aided crown manufacture in the US. The crown is created out of ceramic and rather than being fabricated in a laboratory, it is build in specialized (and expensive) equipment in the dentist's surgery. This can result in crowns being fitted in a single visit.

When getting a crown fitted the tooth in question needs to be prepared by stripping off the entire top covering of the enamel of the tooth. It should be noted that this process is not reversible. From this point on, the procedure differs greatly according to the type of crown being fitted.

In the instance of gold crowns, a mould is taken and sent to a laboratory so that the crown can be manufactured. This can take anywhere from days to weeks, so a second visit is required for the crown to be fitted. Your dentist should supply you with a temporary crown or "flipper" for you to wear in the interim. Certain ceramic crowns can be made in the dentist's surgery and fitted in a single visit.

There are a huge number of factors that determine the price. It is important when you are comparing prices, that you compare like with like. Look for details like:

The type or make of crown you are getting
Is a pin required to anchor the crown?
Is root canal work required?
Additional work that may need to be performed


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