Porcelain Crowns look the most natural and are favoured for front teeth. However they are less durable than the other options and may chip. In general they are not thought suitable for back teeth that are used for chewing. A Porcelain Crown fused to metal is more usually used for back teeth, but the selection of the most appropriate option is something we spend some time talking through with each client individually.
Fitting a Crown needs to be done over the course of at least two appointments.
First we have to prepare the tooth. This involves removing most of the outer surface, leaving a strong inner core. The amount of the tooth removed will be the same as the thickness of the crown. Once the tooth is shaped, we make a mould of it, which then goes together with details of the appropriate shade to our dental laboratory where the crown is custom made for that tooth.
Whilst the crown is being made we will fit a temporary crown. We do this free of charge but in the UK you should expect to pay in the region of £30 for a temporary crown.
At your next appointment we your custom made crown. This usually entails making a number of adjustments until we are completely satisfied with its fit and appearance. The Crown is then cemented into place. We use special dental cement that will hold it in place permanently.
Fitting a dental crown therefore requires at least two treatment sessions and time must be allowed for the work at the laboratory. In the UK you should expect this to extend over one or two weeks. At our surgery in Heviz however our patients are often seeing us when they are away from home. We have therefore developed a "rapid dentistry" model. With the fully cooperation of our laboratory we work to significantly reduce the time needed for this type of treatment.
In the UK you should expect to pay between about £400 - £800. Our charge for a Porcelain Crown fused to metal is 240 Euros.