What is a Dental Crown & How Much Do They Cost? | DentalPlans.com

Over time, your teeth can get damaged due to tooth decay, injuries, and regular old wear and tear. One solution dentists often use to fix these problems is a dental crown. In this blog, we’ll explain a dental crown, how it works, and how much it typically costs.

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What is a Dental Crown?

A dental crown is a prosthetic cap with the shape and feel of a real tooth that can be placed over your tooth. Once your dentist cements the crown over your tooth and covers the visible part of the tooth, you can talk and eat normally.

Here are some of the reasons why your dentist may use a dental crown:

Fix a cavity that’s too large for a simple filling
Cover badly stained or discolored teeth
Reconfigure oddly shaped teeth
Fix badly cracked, chipped, or broken teeth
Reinforce and protect a newly fragile tooth after a root canal
Fit over dental implant posts to permanently replace one or many missing teeth
Create a stable foundation for dental bridges

How Do Dental Crowns Work?

A dental crown can be a temporary fix or a permanent one. A temporary crown is typically used when creating and installing a permanent crown or other dental restoration. Permanent crowns are cemented in place, lasting for years, and are meant to be removed only by a dental professional.

Crowns can be made from porcelain, ceramic, gold, metal alloys, acrylics, and composite resins.

Porcelain — These crowns are fused to an inner metal shell or zirconia and are favored for their strength and natural appearance.
Ceramic — Ceramic crowns are not quite as strong as porcelain but are suitable for some treatment needs and more affordable than porcelain.
Metal alloys — Palladium, nickel, or chromium base-metal alloys are generally stronger than porcelain or ceramics. They don’t always look as real as ceramic or porcelain crowns but are far more affordable, so they may be recommended for repairing or replacing back teeth.
All-metal gold alloy — An all-metal gold alloy crown was once the traditional choice for durability and strength, but they don’t look like natural teeth and have been largely replaced by ceramic or porcelain.

Your dentist will recommend the best crown material, depending on where the crown will be placed, the reason for the crown, and the functionality required of the crowned tooth.

How Much Can Dental Crowns Cost?

Generally, you can expect pay anywhere from $1,000 to $3,500 for a dental crown. The cost depends on where you live, the procedure difficulty, and the type of crown you choose. For example, porcelain crowns tend to be more expensive than metal crowns. Additionally, if your troubled tooth is far back in your mouth, you may need a crown lengthening to expose more of your natural tooth.

Dental insurance may cover part of the cost of a crown, typically around 50% of the total cost, or until you hit your annual cap, which is typically $1,000- $1,500 per year. That means a $3,500 crown could leave you with a $2,000 bill after insurance. The amount insurance pays depends on your policy, when you purchased the insurance, and whether you have reached your deductible or annual coverage cap. If the crown addresses a pre-existing condition it may not be covered at all or require a waiting period, usually around 6 months to a year.

Making Dental Crowns More Affordable

No matter the reason for needing a dental crown, getting one can be costly. That’s why you may want to consider a dental savings plan.

Dental savings plans, an alternative to traditional dental insurance, offer plan members deep discounts on a wide variety of dental treatments — including crowns — from a nationwide network of dentists. Dental savings plans have quick activation and no restrictions based on current health conditions. If you want to learn more about how a dental savings plan can save you money on your dental crown, reach out to us at 1-833-735-0399. We can tell you more, and pair you with a plan that will save you the most money on your crown (and more) right away.