When we at Blue Water Dental recommend dental crowns to our Langley patients, they often have a lot of questions about what they are and how the dental procedure works. In dentistry dental crowns are caps put over a damaged tooth or teeth that could be weak or fractured and are made from porcelain or metal.
We have flexibility when recommending dental crowns to our patients because every person’s oral health and teeth are different. On top of choosing the material for your crown, there are also multiple types of dental crowns that we can choose from depending on the state of your teeth and existing fillings
Crowns can be placed on your molars or even your front teeth by dentists. When placing crowns on easy-to-see teeth, the dentist will specially design them so that you can smile with confidence. The dental goal, when placing restorations on front teeth, is to make sure that the restoration isn’t noticeable. Sometimes we will do teeth whitening prior to placing crowns since we can’t change the tooth color once it’s cemented in. Patients have a lot of things to consider when choosing crowns, including:
Cost
Durability
Dental Strength
The dentist may recommend certain materials over others depending on the dental location of where the crown is placed.
Material Composition of Crowns
Dental crowns can be made from a variety of materials in dentistry, and it’s not uncommon for multiple dental materials to be used at once for a crown by dentists. The materials available include:
Porcelain
Porcelain-fused to metal
Metal (ie: Gold)
Composite resin
Material combinations are common to add special dental properties to the crown. Porcelain and metal may be mixed to offer the easy color choice of porcelain with the strength of metal. Both these types of dental restorations can be placed on dental implants.
We’ll select the best dentistry options for your crown based on the following factors:
If you have a personal preference, you can also mention this during your visit. We'll always consider your preference and make any professional recommendations that we may have.
Types of Dental Crowns from our Langley Dentist Office
One-day Teeth Crowns
Want fast service? It is possible in dentistry to create and place a crown in a single appointment. Using computer-aided design and manufacturing, it’s possible to design and create a crown in the office and then place the crown the same appointment.
Temporary Crowns
A temp crown is designed in dentistry for short-term use. We'll place the crown over the tooth just like we would with a permanent crown, but we’ll use an adhesive that is not as strong. We often put temporary crowns on while we’re making your permanent crown. When we see you for your next appointment, we’ll remove your temporary crown and replace it with the permanent crown.
Onlay or 3/4 Crowns
When we examine your teeth, we may find that there’s enough existing tooth that a 3/4 or onlay crown is a better option. These crowns only cover a portion of the tooth like a veneer.
How We Determine If You Need a Dental Crown
When our Langley office conducts a dental exam, we look at the state of your teeth, dental health and discuss all treatment options at your visit. If there’s a large cavity, the hole may be too big for a filling. In this case, we may recommend a crown. We may also recommend a crown if your teeth are:
Cracked
Weakened
Worn down
If you need a major dental procedure performed, such as a root canal, a crown may be necessary for protection. There are also times when a patient is missing a tooth or teeth from an extraction, which might affect the dentists' decision for a crown.
There are other times when teeth are just in the wrong position and we may want to do Invisalign prior to crown. Patients sometimes come in with dental anxiety and for those patients we offer sedation. We’ll discuss all of this during your visit.
How Much Do Crowns Cost in Langley?
Cost is always a concern for patients who are having a new crown made in dentistry. In general, the cost of a crown is somewhere between $1,000 and $1,500. For crowns on dental implants, the dental cost can range from $1800-$2200. The price will depend on the size of the crown and the materials used to make the crown.
If you prefer a gold crown, this is often the most expensive option and not usually the best option for Cosmetic Dentistry. Prices for gold crowns will fluctuate based on the current cost of dental gold.
Oftentimes, we’ll be able to create a crown for cheaper than a metal or gold crown. Once we factor in the cost of the materials, design and creation of the crown, we’ll then have to add other factors into the dentistry mix, such as:
What work needs to be done to the tooth? We may need to do extensive work on the tooth before placing the crown on it, and if this is the case, the dental cost of the crown will be higher.
Do you need an implant put in place first? If you need a dental implant before the crown, the cost is higher.
If you have dental insurance, the price of the procedure may not matter to you. Some forms of dental insurance will cover the entire cost of the dental crown, but we recommend calling the dental insurer for full details on what teeth coverage you have.
We’re here to help when you need a dental crown in our Langley office. We'll discuss your budget and try to find ways to keep the costs within your dental budget. Sometimes, we’re able to lower costs by choosing a different material to make the crown, but there are times when the state of the tooth demands the strongest crown material possible.
Understanding the Dental Crown Procedure
A multi-day dentistry procedure for your dental crown.
What Happens During a Multi-Day Crowns Procedure?
If we need to extend the crown procedure to a multi-day process at our Langley clinic, it should only be a two day process. We'll also create a temporary crown so that you can smile with confidence when possible. The dental procedure will include:
The outer layer of the tooth will be filed down or removed
Dental impressions will be taken
The impressions are sent to the lab to make the crown
When the dental impressions are sent to the lab, the tooth or teeth creation can take 2 to 3 weeks. Once they do come in, the second visit will include placing the permanent crown.
What Happens During a Same-Day Crowns Procedure?
Same-day dental crowns take much less time and don’t require a temporary crown to be placed on the tooth. This single visit dental procedure will include the following:
Digital pictures of the mouth will be taken
Dental scans will be made from the imaging
Crown is designed in the office
The crown will be made (it takes an hour or two)
Crown is cemented
This dental procedure can't be used for dental implants
Caring for Your Dental Crown After You Leave Your Appointment
Even though you have a crown, you’ll still need to care for it as you would your normal teeth to avoid any dental emergencies. You'll need to carefully brush the crown, and you’ll need to follow dental hygiene best practices between your Langley dentist appointments for your teeth.
Come in for regular dental checkups and teeth cleanings
Porcelain crowns are susceptible to cracks, so it’s important to avoid chewing on ice or other hard substances with your teeth that can crack the crown.
Since temporary dental crowns do not use a strong dental adhesive, it’s important to be extra cautious when brushing them. The dental adhesive can loosen causing the crown to come out. If the crown does fall out, breaks or cracks, we can re-glue the crown or put another temporary crown in place while your permanent crown is being made.
Common Crown Oral Complications
Dental crowns are a great option in dentistry for protecting your teeth, but they’re not without complications. After we place your crown at your appointment, the following can occur:
Sensitivity. In dentistry we tell patients that it’s common for the tooth with the crown to be sensitive to hot or cold. The only time that sensitivity is a concern is if you feel pain biting down. In this case, we may be able to change your crown’s positioning.
Chipping. Chewing hard foods can chip your crown. Porcelain crowns are the most susceptible to chipping, and small chips can often be corrected. Generally crowns are less susceptible to fracture than veneers.
Loosen or fall out. If a crown loosens or comes out, the dentist may be able to put additional cement on it to fix the issue.
Gum disease. If the area where the crown is placed is sore or irritated, this can be a sign of gum disease or teeth gingivitis. Speak to your hygienist and dentist about your pain or irritation so that a thorough dental examination can be performed.
There are times when patients are allergic to the metals in the crown, but this is very rare.
How Long Do Porcelain Crowns Last?
When taken care of properly, porcelain crowns can last for years without an issue. Gold and porcelain-infused crowns last longer than other dental material types. All-resin crowns are known to wear down the fastest and are least durable in dentistry.
Depending on the material used to make the crown and general care, most teeth crowns will last 10 to 15 years.
If you brush two to three times per day and go to cleanings every six months, you may extend the dental lifespan of your crown even further. Some patients have had their crowns for decades before they needed replacement.
As your dentist, we’ll discuss your dental crown options with you and work with you to find the best crown for your dental needs. We may also recommend a dentistry alternative to crowns that can work just as well or better.
Contact us today to book an appointment with your Langley dentist
