Perfectly Seamless Tooth Restoration
A dental crown is a protective “cap” placed over a tooth that has been fractured, treated with a root canal, discolored, decayed, or has an irregular shape. Custom-designed and expertly fitted, these crowns blend effortlessly with the color and shape of your natural teeth, often lasting more than 15 years. Additionally, crowns are used to secure dental bridges, crown dental implants, or address specific cosmetic and aesthetic concerns.
How Does the Process for Getting a Crown Work?
Getting a crown typically requires two appointments to shape and fully install the crown.
Examining the Tooth
Like all dental procedures, the process begins with a dental exam, where the dentist evaluates and cleans your teeth to ensure they are ready for a smooth crown placement. If the tooth is fractured or severely damaged by decay, the affected portions will be removed to prepare for the crown, which will help protect the tooth from further decay.
Shaping Crowns for You
Next, we use dental putty to take an impression of your teeth, a critical step in creating custom porcelain crowns. A temporary crown will be placed on your tooth, providing a short-term solution until your next visit. If a tooth is missing and you’re looking to replace it with a dental implant, we’ll take an impression of the implant and surrounding teeth. This impression will then be sent to our lab to craft a personalized crown just for you.
Installation
At your second appointment, the temporary crown will be removed and replaced with the permanent crown. The crown will be securely bonded using strong dental cement or a hidden screw mechanism. To complete the process, we’ll polish the crown’s surface and make any necessary adjustments to ensure it fits comfortably and looks great.
The Cost of a Dental Crown in Wake Forest
The cost of a dental crown can vary greatly from patient to patient. With a standard insurance plan, a single crown typically ranges from $400 to $900 or more. Without insurance, the cost for a crown generally falls between $1,500 and $1,800 or higher. While many people view dental crowns as an ideal solution for restoring both the appearance and function of their teeth, the price may still raise some concerns.
Several factors influence the cost of a dental crown:
- The type of crown and the material chosen.
- The complexity and location of the procedure.
- Whether multiple crowns are needed.
- How the crown integrates with other dental treatments, such as bridges.
- Specific supplies and equipment required for your custom treatment.
It’s important to note that no dental office can provide an exact quote over the phone. Since your needs are as unique as your smile, scheduling a consultation and undergoing an oral exam is essential to determine your treatment options and receive an accurate quote. If you have dental insurance, we can help you get a quote to submit, so you’ll know your out-of-pocket costs before making a decision.
Contact us today
to schedule an initial consultation & exam.
Your consultation will include an examination of everything from your teeth, gums and soft tissues to the shape and condition of your bite. Generally, we want to see how your whole mouth looks and functions. Before we plan your treatment we want to know everything about the health and aesthetic of your smile, and most importantly, what you want to achieve so we can help you get there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Whether you need a crown after a root canal largely depends on the tooth’s location. Teeth at the back of the mouth, like molars and premolars, are crucial for chewing and generally require crowns. However, incisors and canines, which aren’t as involved in chewing, may not always need crowns.
When comparing crowns to fillings, the main difference lies in durability, especially for teeth with large chewing surfaces. The constant pressure from chewing or clenching can cause fillings on molars to chip or come loose. In contrast, a crown covers the entire tooth, from gumline to gumline, making it much more resistant to the forces involved in chewing over time.
Dental crowns serve two important purposes: restoring the functionality of your tooth, allowing you to bite and chew without pain or discomfort, and seamlessly blending with your natural teeth. Crowns are carefully crafted to match the color and shape of your original teeth, so much so that you may not be able to tell which tooth has been crowned.
A dental post is not the same as a dental implant, which is surgically placed in the jawbone. Instead, a dental post is a medical-grade support used inside a prepared root canal to strengthen the foundation of a dental crown. Posts are used when there isn’t enough healthy tooth structure remaining to securely support a crown.
Getting a crown is usually similar to getting a filling, depending on the condition of your tooth. We take great care to ensure the area is numbed, and if needed, local anesthesia will be used to make the tooth preparation painless. You may experience some mild sensitivity or gum soreness around the treated tooth afterward. If you feel anxious about dental visits, let us know! We’re here to make your experience as comfortable and relaxing as possible.
Dental crowns generally last up to 15 years, though with proper care, they can last between 25 to 30 years.
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