Dental Crowns
The purpose of a dental crown is to protect fragile tooth from fracture. Fractures and cracks frequently happen to teeth with large existing restorations, or teeth that under excessive load as we’ve seen in sleep grinders and people who clench a lot. Dental crown also provides perfect match to natural tooth colour and shape.
A Dental crown is a rather mechanical dental treatment in that it only deals with the hard tissues of your tooth. In simple terms, it is a physical helmet for the tooth to prevent further propagation of cracks and fractures. It however, does not cure any existing infection, restore already damaged dental nerve tissues, and certainly will not cleanse the tooth free of abscess. If a tooth suffers from existing sensitivity or pain prior to having a crown placed on it, it is important to let your dentist know about it as the Dental Crown may not be the best option in this situation and that Root Canal Therapy or removal of the tooth may be necessary.
What kind of Dental Crown material should I choose?
Before placing the crown onto the tooth, dentist needs to prepare the tooth and remove broken part of the tooth. Then a dental crown or ‘cap’ can be cemented onto the remaining tooth structure. The crown is made of high strength restorative material, there’re different types of material we using:
- Full-metallic crown: is a type of crown that uses only metallic material to provide cover for the tooth. Gold was once the favourite because it’s biocompatible and easy to contoured and carved by the technician.
Unfortunately due to increased costs of gold many patients are forced to consider alternative materials. Other cheaper metallic crowns uses alloys of different metal, however due to poorer bio-compatibility (nickel allergy, rusting), they are not the first choice. - Porcelain-fused-metal (PFM) crown: to improve the aesthetic of a metallic crown especially in front teeth, dental technicians can place ceramics to cover the metal to give it a tooth-like aesthetic. It has been in use in dentistry for a very long time and has been the favourite for many experienced dentists even after the introduction of CADCAM (computer-aided-design, computer-aided-manufacturing) technology to dentistry.
- Non-metallic crown: are typically made of high-strength medical grade ceramic. At Hornsby Dental Clinic, we utilise the latest chair-side CADCAM technology to provide precision fit dental crowns. The accuracy of such restoration is within microns of discrepancy, making them some of the most precision fitting restorations available to dentists. We offer different brands (Vita, Emax, and Lava Ultimate crowns) in our surgeries.
How long will my Dental Crown Last?
In our clinics, we are confident with our dental crowns that as long as the patient routinely visits a dentist to ensure good dental hygiene, we are prepared to replace any dental crown that fractures within 5 years after its placement. Most labs are not prepared to do that.
In the event that the tooth requires Root Canal Therapy after the placement of the Dental Crown, as your dentist will discuss with you, we are prepared to replace the crown within 5 years free of charge after the completion of Root Canal Therapy. If the tooth is removed within 5 years due to severe infection and it cannot be restored, the cost that was paid towards your crown will be deducted off from the cost of an implant crown or bridges.
How many visits will my Dental Crown take?
Most dental practices require patients to make two to three visits because the moulds need to be sent off to a dental laboratory to construct the crown. At Hornsby Dental Clinic, we make our crowns at our practice. This enables us to reduce the extra laboratory fee and also ensure that the quality meets our highest standards. It also benefits our patients by allowing the entire dental procedure to be completed in one visit. Our experienced and friendly dentists will explain the process with you and you can watch your dental crown be made with our advanced Dental Crown technology equipment at Hornsby Dental Clinic.
How much does a Dental Crown Cost?
At Hornsby Dental, we believe in providing quality dentistry at an affordable rate. We are proud to offer some of the cheapest crowns in the Hornsby area as we currently have a dental crowns special offer. The average cost can range between $1,600 and $2500. We offer our in-house dental crowns from $1,450.
What other dental options are available?
There are many restorative options available to help you achieve the smile you would like. At Hornsby Dental, our experienced dentist Hornsby will discuss with you entire options and help tailor your personal treatment plan that provides the best outcome related to your individualised goals.