Dental Crowns – Coppell, TX
Restore Your Weakened Or Broken Tooth
Cracked, damaged, or decayed teeth can cause a host of problems. Chewing may become difficult, speech can easily be disrupted, and your self-confidence may begin to flounder. What’s more, your tooth enamel cannot repair itself. That means a cracked, decayed, or broken tooth will only continue to get worse without professional intervention. Over time, an infection may begin to develop, which can lead to painful toothaches and potentially even tooth loss!
Fortunately, at Sandy Lake Dental & Orthodontics, we can restore your weakened or broken tooth with a beautiful, custom-made dental crown! Read on to learn more about these classic restorations and give us a call today to schedule your next appointment.
What Is a Dental Crown?
A crown is typically used to restore a single tooth that has been damaged due to decay or injury. It simply slips over the top of the tooth to restore both its lost structure and appearance, and it is sometimes referred to as a “cap.” Crowns can be made of a variety of materials including metal, porcelain fused to metal, or all-porcelain. Each material is ideally suited to particular teeth and certain situations. During your appointment, we will help you discover which one is right for your smile.
The Process of Getting a Dental Crown
Restoring your smile with a dental crown will typically only take two appointments. During your first visit, we’ll prepare the selected tooth by cleaning it and removing a layer of enamel. This needs to be done in order to make room for the crown. Then, impressions will be taken and sent to a local dental lab, where they’ll be used as blueprints for your permanent restoration. Creating a permanent dental crown will typically take a week or two, so before you leave our office, we’ll fit you with a temporary crown to keep your tooth comfortable and safe. Once we’ve received your restoration, we’ll call you back to our office to have it bonded in place.
Benefits of Getting a Dental Crown
Dental crowns are one of the most popular and reliable ways to repair cracked or decayed teeth. They offer benefits like:
- Restored ability to eat, chew, and go about life without dental pain.
- Protection from future damage and infections that could result in tooth loss.
- Durable, long-lasting results that can last 15 years or more.
- High-quality dental porcelain ensures you get beautiful, lifelike results.
- Potential to address the serious cosmetic flaws of a tooth.
Call Sandy Lake Dental & Orthodontics today to see if a custom-made dental crown could be right for your smile. Our Coppell, TX dental office serves Lewisville, Irving, Flower Mound, Carrollton, Arlington, Frisco, and surrounding areas with high-quality, personalized dental care.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Crowns
To better understand how much your dental crown could cost, it’s necessary to first examine your mouth and review your health history. Don’t worry, we’ll do this during your consultation, so you’ll have a timely estimate of your expenses. If the number seems daunting, we can help with that, too! We’re proud to offer multiple alternative payment options that can help you save money on your dental crown treatment in Coppell. Keep reading to learn more or contact our friendly team if you’d rather ask us questions directly.
Factors that Affect the Cost of Dental Crowns
There are many factors that can affect the overall cost of your dental crown, which is why it’s difficult to provide an accurate estimate without a thorough oral exam. Generally speaking, these are the types of things we consider:
- The severity of dental damage or decay.
- Whether you’ll require preliminary treatments such as periodontal therapy or a root canal.
- The materials you’d like to use for your crown.
If you do require preliminary treatments, we can absolutely include these costs in your estimate as well.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Crowns?
Since the goal of a dental crown is to protect and maintain your damaged tooth, they’re considered medically necessary and are covered by up to 50% under most dental insurance policies. We encourage patients to double-check their insurance benefits to be sure, or, if you’d prefer, we can take a look at your policy and help you decipher the details.
Other Options for Making Dental Crowns Affordable
Not all of our patients have access to dental insurance, so we’re happy to provide many alternative options for making your dental crown treatment in Coppell more affordable. Here are other ways you can save:
- Membership Savings Plan. For one annual fee, those on our in-house membership plan can receive discounts for several of our services.
- CareCredit Financing. Instead of paying for all of your expenses at once, our partners at CareCredit can break down your bill into smaller monthly installments.
- New Patient Special. For a limited time, we’re offering new patients $100 dollars off any treatment they choose, including dental crowns!
Let us know if you’re interested in any of these budget-friendly options, and we can work with you to get you started on your payment plan.
Dental Crowns FAQs
What Are Dental Crowns Made Of?
Dental crowns are reliable restorations that can protect and preserve your natural teeth, but many people are unsure what they’re made from. These prosthetics can be made from several different materials, but our team at Sandy Lake Dental & Orthodontics offers the following types:
- Historically, all dental restorations, like fillings and crowns, were made from amalgam metals like gold, silver, nickel, chromium, and palladium. However, these materials conduct hot and cold temperatures into the roots of teeth, causing sensitivity. Today, more biocompatible materials are often preferred, though metal crowns may be somewhat more long-lasting.
- This is the standard material used for most dental crowns today because it’s incredibly resilient and can be customized to match your natural teeth for seamless results. Thanks to recent developments in dental techniques and materials, it’s also long-lasting and can remain in place for 15 years or more with the right care.
- Porcelain-fused-to-metal. This combination of materials results in incredibly strong restorations that can blend in with your grin better than an all-metal crown without sacrificing any longevity.
Are Dental Crowns Permanent?
Technically, dental crowns are more long-lasting than they are permanent. They can remain in place for a decade or two if they’re properly maintained, but it doesn’t last forever and will likely require replacement at some point.
However, our team must remove a small amount of enamel from your troubled tooth for your prosthetic to fit correctly. This protective outer layer doesn’t regenerate, making this an irreversible change to your smile.
Do Dental Crowns Get Cavities?
Many patients near Coppell want to know whether these tooth-shaped caps can develop decay like their natural teeth. Fortunately, the materials they’re made from can’t get cavities, but that doesn’t mean you no longer need to worry about your dental health. The underlying tooth and the surrounding gum tissues can be infected by bacteria in your mouth, which can eventually erode them and destabilize or dislodge your prosthetic.
You can keep your mouth happy and healthy by brushing and flossing twice daily to consistently remove plaque and germs that contribute to dental problems. You should also schedule a routine visit with our team every six months to allow us to identify and address any areas of concern, such as a loose crown, before they become more serious.
Does it Hurt to Get a Dental Crown?
It’s only natural to want to avoid procedures that might hurt, especially if your tooth already feels tender or sore. Fortunately, getting a dental crown isn’t usually considered a painful procedure. Before preparing your teeth, our team will provide a local anesthetic to prevent the nerves in your teeth and jaw from sending pain signals to your brain. Then, you might develop some mild sensitivity after your enamel is thinned, but this usually clears up on its own in a few days.
Then, the process of cementing your restoration in place is considered so straightforward that you might not even need to be numbed. That said, our team offers several options for sedation to ensure that you remain calm and comfortable throughout your appointment.