Dental crowns

A crown is a cover cemented over a prepared tooth, restoring its shape and taking over the job of holding it together. Preparing a tooth for a crown means reducing it on all sides, which removes considerably more structure than a filling or a veneer. That is justified when the tooth genuinely needs the protection, and hard to justify when it does not — a crown placed on a tooth that could have been restored more conservatively is a permanent loss of tooth structure for no gain.

• A large part of the tooth has broken away
• A tooth has a very large existing filling and keeps fracturing
• Following root canal treatment, particularly on back teeth
• An existing crown has failed or decay has developed underneath it
• A tooth is badly worn and needs its shape and height rebuilt

• A large filling, where enough sound tooth remains to support one
• An inlay or onlay, which covers part of the tooth rather than all of it
• A veneer, where the concern is only the front surface and appearance
• Extraction and replacement, where the tooth is too compromised to restore predictably

• A recent X-ray of the tooth and its root
• Photographs of the tooth and of your bite
• Whether the tooth has had root canal treatment, and when
• Any symptoms — sensitivity, pain on biting, swelling
• Whether you grind or clench
• History of previous restorations on that tooth

1. 1

   Assessment

   Examination and imaging to establish whether the tooth is restorable, and whether something less destructive would do.

   Carried out by: Partner clinic

2. 2

   Any preparatory treatment

   Decay removal, a core build-up, or root canal treatment where the nerve is involved.

   Carried out by: Partner clinic

3. 3

   Tooth preparation

   The tooth is reduced on all surfaces to make room for the crown. This is irreversible.

   Carried out by: Partner clinic

4. 4

   Temporary crown

   A temporary protects the prepared tooth while the definitive crown is made.

   Carried out by: Partner clinic

5. 5

   Fitting

   The crown is tried in, the fit and bite are checked and adjusted, and it is cemented.

   Carried out by: Partner clinic

6. 6

   Maintenance

   Cleaning around the margin matters — decay can still develop at the join between crown and tooth.

   Carried out by: You

A crown is typically preparation and fitting, which can often be completed within one trip. Where root canal treatment is needed first, or where several crowns are being planned alongside other work, more time or a second trip may be appropriate.

• How much sound tooth structure remains
• The health of the root and surrounding bone
• Whether the nerve is healthy or has been treated
• Gum health around the tooth
• Your bite and any grinding
• Whether the tooth has a reasonable long-term outlook — crowning a tooth with a poor prognosis rarely ends well

• The material — metal-ceramic, zirconia, lithium disilicate and others differ in cost and indication
• Whether a core build-up or root canal treatment is needed first
• Which laboratory makes it
• How many crowns are being made together
• Whether temporaries are included in the quoted figure

We do not publish price ranges for this treatment. Any figure we could give before a clinic has approved it would be a guess presented as guidance. Your final price comes from the partner clinic in writing, after a dentist has reviewed your case.

• Significant, irreversible removal of tooth structure
• Sensitivity after preparation, occasionally persisting
• The nerve can become inflamed, sometimes leading to root canal treatment later
• Decay can develop at the margin if cleaning is inadequate
• Crowns can chip, fracture or debond
• They will need replacing at some point
• Colour matching to adjacent natural teeth is not always perfect, particularly for a single front crown

• Could this tooth be restored with a filling, inlay or onlay instead?
• What material are you proposing, and why that one for this tooth?
• Does this tooth need root canal treatment first, and is that in the price?
• What is the long-term outlook for this particular tooth?
• Is a temporary crown included?
• What do I do if it debonds after I get home?

These are worth asking of any clinic, including ours. A clinic that answers them clearly and in writing is telling you something useful.

This treatment would be carried out by a licensed dentist at the partner clinic you choose, working in restorative dentistry and prosthodontics. Dental Anchor does not provide treatment and does not employ dentists.

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