Don’t Forget Your Crown

Porcelain crowns are one available type of crown available in cosmetic dentistry today. These crowns are the most pleasing to the eye because they are generally very life-like in appearance. However, the overall strength of porcelain crowns is less than the other types of available crowns on the market. Porcelain crowns can be a great choice for front teeth, however they are less successful when used on the molars and other back teeth, as being exposed to excessive chewing makes them erode faster.

The thickness of the porcelain required to make the filling aesthetically pleasing requires that more tooth structure be removed than with other types of crowns. This makes it more difficult for the dentist to achieve the ideal fit, thus requiring a higher level of skill from your cosmetic dentist.

To make the crown, your dentist first creates an impression of the tooth. The dental laboratory then makes the crown from this impression. Typically, you will be given a temporary crown to wear while the permanent is being made, which generally takes approximately two weeks. When you return to the dentist, the porcelain crown will be cemented to the tooth. The crown will usually last anywhere from ten to fifteen years.

Porcelain crowns cost more than other types of crowns because they are usually more time-consuming. You can expect to pay approximately $600-3100 per tooth for a porcelain crown. If your dental insurance does not offset these costs, Ameriplan USA® is a terrific option, offering a dental discount plan which can save you up to 80% of the cost of your crowns.