Dental Crowns – Carlisle, PA

Factors That Affect the Cost of Dental Crowns

Before you get a crown, Dr. Soltani will closely examine your mouth. This oral exam lets her review factors that affect a crown’s price. In particular, it helps her determine the following:

• Tooth Damage – Based on the level of tooth damage, your crown may cost more or less. If your pearly white only needs the cap itself, care may be cheap. Alternatively, a severely damaged tooth may need a crown and preliminary work. You’d then pay a higher price for treatment.
• Crown Material – Depending on its material, a crown may have a higher or lower price. For instance, a metallic one is often inexpensive. Meanwhile, porcelain and ceramic crowns tend to be costly.
• Crown Processing  – Crowns milled traditionally usually cost less. However, those processed with CEREC same-day technology have a higher price.

As you consider these factors, note that cheap crowns don’t work well. Their low prices reflect that they use poor material and milling methods. Therefore, always try to get a more moderately priced one. While it may cost a tad more, the cap will be more functional and long-lasting!

 

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Crowns?

Normally, dental insurance will cover dental crowns. Most policies view these caps as medically necessary and protective. For that reason, they’ll often cover up to 50% of a crown’s price.

Of course, there are the occasional exceptions. Some plans don’t cover crowns, and others only offer limited coverage. As such, confirm your benefits before treatment. Our office can even help you do so.

Other Options for Making Dental Crowns Affordable

Even if you lack insurance, dental crowns can still be affordable. Many dental practices offer helpful payment methods for their patients. Given the right one, an otherwise-pricey crown can become more budget-friendly.

Just look at Flenniken Family Dentistry, for instance. We happen to provide:

• Special Offers – As part of our ongoing New Patient Special, we offer a $100 discount on dental crown treatment.
• Flexible Financing – Our practice works with CareCredit, a reputable third-party financier. Through them, you could pay for crown work in monthly, low-interest installments. Thus, you wouldn’t need to cover the whole cost at once.

Flenniken Family Dentistry wants your crown to be pretty and affordable. So, please book a consultation visit with us! You and your smile will be glad you did.

Are Dental Crowns Permanent?

In truth, dental crowns aren’t permanent – their average lifespan is roughly five to 15 years. The process of placing them, however, is considered irreversible.

You see, a dentist has to reshape your tooth for a crown to fit. The prosthetic would look bulky or fall off otherwise. Unfortunately, though, this reshaping removes enamel that doesn’t grow back over time. As such, the shaped tooth will now always need a crown for protection.

Thankfully, the crown itself compensates for your lost enamel. Since it protects the underlying tooth from bacteria and extreme temperatures, the cap helps your chomper last longer. In fact, you can keep a crown in good shape for years with proper care – daily oral hygiene, regular checkups, a mouthguard, etc.

Does It Hurt to Get a Dental Crown?

Fortunately enough, getting a dental crown doesn’t hurt. Dental teams take specific precautions to ensure treatment is smooth and comfortable.

One such measure, for example, is that the dentist numbs your tooth for the preparation phase. All it takes is a local anesthetic to keep your mouth from feeling any pain during the reshaping stage. The most you might sense from the dentist’s work would thus be a slight pressure.

Any discomfort you feel is likely to take place after treatment. As your tooth adjusts to the crown, it might ache for the next few days. You can manage this effect with over-the-counter pain relievers, but call your dentist if the soreness worsens.

Do Dental Crowns Feel Natural?

As a matter of fact, yes – dental crowns quickly feel natural once placed. Within days of receiving one, you may not even notice its presence.

Remember, crowns can withstand chewing forces as easily as tooth enamel. Their materials – ceramic, porcelain, etc. – are highly durable. Therefore, eating with them shouldn’t feel strange.

Furthermore, dentists customize treatment so the crown won’t feel foreign to your mouth. They reshape your tooth so the cap fits comfortably and make the prosthetic based on dental impressions. By all accounts, then, a crown won’t feel awkward at all.

Are Dental Crowns Safe?

Rest assured – dental crowns are entirely safe. When placed by a qualified dentist, they shouldn’t cause you harm.

This fact partly stems from crowns’ materials. Metal ones today don’t have mercury, meaning they’re non-toxic. Meanwhile, tooth-colored crowns use toxin-free ceramic and zirconia. While there is a small risk of an allergic reaction to a metal alloy, you can always opt for a metal-free option to avoid it.

Of course, it’s best to be safe rather than sorry. Given that fact, call your dentist immediately if you experience gum irritation, redness, or swelling near your crown. These symptoms could indicate an allergic reaction.