When recommend tooth crowns, also known as full coverage restorations (FCR's), our patients often have many questions about what they are and how the procedure works. Crowns are dental caps that are put over damaged teeth that could be weak or fractured, and they’re made from porcelain or metal.
They can be placed on your molars, your front teeth and on dental implants.When placing full coverage restorations on easy-to-see teeth. The dentist will specially design them so that you can smile with confidence.
When placing restorations on front teeth,the goal is to make sure that the dental crown isn’t noticeable. Sometimes we will do teeth whitening before placing crowns since we can’t change the color once they are cemented. Patients have a lot of options when choosing crowns in our Langley clinic, including points related to:
Cost
Durability
Strength
We may recommend certain dentistry materials over others depending on the location where the crown is placed.
Restorative Materials for your Teeth
Dental crowns can be made from a variety of materials, and it’s not uncommon for multiple materials to be used at once for a full coverage restoration. The dentistry materials available include:
Porcelain
Porcelain fused to metal
Metal (ie: Gold)
Composite resin
Material combinations are common to add special properties to the dental crown. Porcelain and metal may be mixed to offer the easy color choice of porcelain with the strength of metal.We’ll select the best material options for your crown based on the following factors:
Location of the tooth
Function of the tooth
Natural tooth remaining
Gum tissue position
Opposing dental bridge, crown or empty space
If you have a personal preference, you can also mention this during your visit our Langley office. We'll always consider your preference and suggest any professional dentistry recommendations that we may have.
Types of Dental Crowns at a Family Dentist Office
We have flexibility when recommending restorations 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 restorative options that we can choose from depending on the state of your teeth and existing dental fillings, including:
One-day Crowns
Want fast dental service? It is possible to create and place a crown in a single appointmentsing computer-aided design and manufacturing, it’s possible to design and create a crown in an office and then place the crown the teeth the same day. We find this treatment has limitations so we do not place same day crowns at this time.
Temporary Crowns
A temp crown is designed for short-term use. We'll place the dental crown over the tooth just like we would with a permanent crown, but we’ll use adhesive that is not as strong. We often put temporaries on while we’re making your permanent crown.
Onlay or 3/4 Restorations
When we examine your teeth, we may find that there’s enough existing structure that a 3/4 or onlay crown is a better option. These restorations only cover a portion of the tooth like a veneer.
How We Determine If You Need a Full Coverage Restoration
When we conduct a dental exam, we’ll be looking at the state of your existing dentistry and discuss all treatment that maybe required. If there’s a large cavity, the hole may be too big for a filling. And in this case, we may recommend a crown. We may also recommend a full coverage restoration if your teeth are:
Cracked
Weakened
Damaged
Dental implants
If you need a major dentistry performed, such as a root canal, a crown may be necessary to add protection to the tooth. There are also times when a patient is missing a tooth from an extraction and that might affect our decision for dental crowns. 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 anxiety and for those patients we do offer sedation. The dentist and our team will discuss all of this during your visit.
How Much Does This Treatment Cost With us at our Langley Dentist Office?
Cost is always a concern for patients who are having new dentistry. In general, the cost of a full coverage restoration is somewhere between $1,000 and $1,500. in Langley, BC. The price will depend on the size of the restoration and the materials used to make it.
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 gold.Often times, we’ll be able to create a porcelain restoration for cheaper than metal or gold. 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 teeth? We may need to do extensive work on teeth before placing crowns, and if this is the case, the cost of the crowns will be higher.
Do you need an implant put in place first? If you need a dental implant before the restoration, 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 insurer for full details on what coverage you have.
We’re here to help when you need a dental crown. We'll discuss your budget and try to find ways to keep the costs within your 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 Crown Procedure
What Happens During a Multi-Day Dental Procedure at our Langley Office?
If we need to extend the crown procedure to a multi-day appointments process, it should only be a two day process. We'll also create a temporary for your tooth or teeth so that you can smile with confidence when possible.
The procedure will include:
Examining and preparing the tooth
X-ray of the tooth (if necessary)
Taking a mold of the teeth or tooth
The outer layer of the tooth will be filed down or removed
Impressions will be taken
Imprints for dental implants are taken with brand specific dental implant impression copings
Impressions are sent to the lab to make the crown
When the impressions are sent to the lab, the creation can take 2 to 3 weeks to come in. Once they do come in, the second visit will include placing the permanent crown.
What Happens During a Same-Day Dental Procedure at a Dentists Office?
Same-day crowns take much less time and don’t require a temporary crown to be placed on the tooth. This single visit procedure will include the following:
Digital pictures of the mouth will be taken
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
In total, the dentistry procedure will last up to four hours.
Caring for Your Porcelain Dental Work including Veneers and Implants
Even though you have a porcelain restoration, you’ll still need to care for it as you would your normal teeth to avoid any dental emergencies and trips to the dentists office. You'll need to carefully brush the new dental crown, and you’ll need to follow dental hygiene best practices.
Wear a night guard if you grind your teeth or investigate Botox treatment as a muscle relaxer
Come in for regular check ups and cleanings
Dental veneers and dental implants require the same care as your natural teeth
Porcelain is susceptible to cracks, so it’s important to avoid chewing on ice or other hard substances that can crack the crown. Since temporary dental restorations do not use a strong adhesive, it’s important to be extra cautious when brushing them. The adhesive can loosen causing the crown to come out.
If the crown does fall out, breaks or cracks, we can reglue the crown or put another temporary crown in place while your permanent restoration is being made. Dental implants are also commonly cemented with temporary cement
Common Dental Complications
Dental crowns are a great option for protecting your teeth, but they’re not without complications. After we place your crown, the following can occur:
Sensitivity. 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. Crowns on dental implants can fracture the same as any natural tooth
Loosen or fall out. If a crown loosens or comes out, we can 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 gingivitis. Speak to your hygienist and dentist about your pain or irritation so that a thorough dentistry examination can be performed.
There are times when patients are allergic to the metals in the restorative material, but this is very rare.
How Long Do New Full Coverage Restorations Last?
When taken care of properly, full coverage restorations can last for years without an issue. Gold and porcelain-fused crowns last longer than other material types. All-resin restorations are known to wear down the fastest. These materials can be used on natural teeth and dental implants.
Depending on the material used to make the crown and general care, most restorations will last 10-15 years. If you brush two to three times per day and go to cleanings every six months, you may extend the 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 dentistry needs. We may also recommend an alternative to crowns with us that can work just as well or better.
