A dental crown protects fragile teeth from fractures and cracks that frequently happen to teeth with large existing restorations, or teeth that have been subjected to excessive loading as we’ve seen in sleep grinders and people who have a habit in clenching.
Dental crowns are also used to cover a dental implant and hold a dental bridge in place. In cosmetic/aesthetic dentistry, dental crowns are used to improve the long term anatomy and shade of a tooth.
What kind of dental crown material should I choose?
There are various methods of dental crown treatments to choose from, each method utilises different high-strength materials.
- Full-metallic crown : is a type of crown that consists entirely of metallic material and provides full cover for the tooth. Gold was once the most popular material for its malleability and bio-compatible nature. However, many patients are forced to consider alternative materials due to the increased costs of gold.
Cheaper metallic crowns that are made from alloys of different metal exist, but due to poorer bio-compatibility (nickel allergy, rusting), they are not as popular. - Porcelain-fused-metal (PFM) crown : is used to improve the appearance of a metallic crown, especially in the anterior/front part of the teeth. It can be color matched to your adjacent teeth, and will look like your normal teeth. PFM crowns have been in use in dentistry for a very long time and have been the preferred method for many experienced dentists even after the introduction of the CADCAM (computer-aided-design, computer-aided-manufacturing) technology to dentistry.
- Non-metallic crown : is typically made of a high-strength medical grade ceramic material. At Canberra Dentistry, we operate with the latest chair-side CADCAM technology to provide the most 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 Vita, Emax and Lava Ultimate crowns in our surgeries.
How long will my dental crown last?
We are confident with the quality of our dental crowns that we are prepared to replace any dental crowns that fracture within 5 years of their placement – provided that the patient routinely visits the dentist to ensure good dental hygiene. Most other labs are not prepared to do that.
How many visits will my dental crown take?
Most other dental practices require patients to make several visits because the moulds need to be sent off to a dental laboratory to construct the crown.
At Canberra Dentistry, we make our own crowns at our practice. This allows us to reduce the extra cost associated with laboratory fees also ensures that the quality of the dental crown meets our own very high standards. Besides that, this also benefits our patients by allowing the entire dental procedure to be completed in one visit.
Our experienced and friendly dentists will walk through the process with you and you can watch the crafting of your dental crown with our advanced dental crown technology equipment at Canberra Dentistry.
How much does a dental crown cost?
We believe in providing quality dentistry service at an affordable rate. We are proud to offer some of the cheapest crowns in the Canberra City CBD area – our in-house dental crowns are priced at $1,295. The average cost elsewhere can range between $1,800 and $2,600.
What other dental options are available?
There are many restorative options and methods available that will help you to smile the way you want to. Come in for a visit, our experienced dentist will love to discuss your dental options with you and help you tailor a treatment plan that provides the best outcome for to you.