Dental Crowns - Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ
Protecting Treated & Damaged Teeth
It’s time to give your teeth the royal treatment. Fortify their natural roots by restoring their form and function with durable dental crowns.
What Are Dental Crowns?
If you have a severely worn, damaged, decayed, or weak tooth, your dentist will likely recommend that you have a durable protective cap known as a crown placed over the tooth. Dental crowns can be made from various materials ranging in durability and aesthetic quality.
These include porcelain, ceramic, zirconia, metal, and porcelain-fused-to-metal. Each material serves different purposes and advantages. Crowns are versatile because they can be used to restore a severely damaged or vulnerable tooth, prevent extraction, complete tooth restorations, or cover up cosmetic problems like discoloration. Contact us at Zen Dental Care today to schedule a consultation for dental crowns in Parsippany-Troy Hills.
The Benefits of Dental Crowns
Durability
Crowns are very strong caps that are used to protect already damaged or even broken teeth. To do this, you need high-quality and durable materials. That’s why crowns are regularly fabricated out of long-lasting metals or zirconia, which can withstand significant chewing forces so the underlying tooth doesn’t become damaged. Dental crowns can last for 20 years with proper care and save a tooth from being removed by holding a broken tooth together.
Improve Your Smile
Whether you have discoloration, a misshapen tooth, a noticeable chip, or other cosmetic imperfections that you’d like to hide in a tooth, dental crowns can cover these issues to improve the aesthetics of your smile. Unlike veneers, dental bonding, and teeth whitening, crowns are much more durable and produce long-term results.
Minimally Invasive
The dental crown procedure is a straightforward and painless process. After removing a small amount of enamel around the outside of your tooth, we take a mold of your tooth, and a dental lab creates a custom cap that fits over top. This only takes 2 appointments to complete. Numbing agents prevent you from feeling any pain.
The Dental Crown Treatment Process
Consultation
Our Parsippany dentist will examine your tooth visually and take digital X-rays to check the condition of the internal tissues. This will allow us to diagnose any tooth decay, inflammation, or infection. Any active decay will need to be removed and infections need to be treated. Then, you may be a good candidate for a crown to protect the tooth from any further oral health problems and breakage.
Enameloplasty
To prepare your tooth for crown placement, we need to file the tooth around all sides, removing a layer of enamel to create enough space for the crown to bond with your tooth. This is done after injecting local anesthesia that numbs you.
Impressions
We will take impressions of your prepared teeth and send them to an outside lab specializing in fabricating restorations. They will match the crown to your natural tooth size, shape, and shade so it blends in.
Fabrication
The lab technician will use your impressions as a model for your dental crown. While you wait for the design and creation of your crown to be finished, we will bond a temporary crown to your tooth to protect your trimmed tooth until your next appointment.
Fitting & Bonding
Once your crown is ready, the dental lab will send your crown to us at the office. You will come back in so we can remove the temporary crown. After checking the fit and appearance of the crown, it will be cemented to your tooth.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Crowns
After determining that dental crowns are a suitable treatment for you, Dr. Sheren Elsaid will discuss with you the factors that determine their overall cost. While we can’t give you a fair estimate of what you can expect to pay until your teeth have been examined at your consultation, our team will be happy to help you maximize your insurance benefits and explore your various payment options. Here’s a brief guide to navigating the cost of dental crowns, but feel free to contact the staff if you have any questions.
Factors That Affect the Cost of Dental Crowns
There are a range of things that contribute to how much you can expect to pay for these lifelike appliances, and they will be thoroughly detailed in your cost estimate. A few of the factors that contribute to the cost of dental crowns include:
- The severity of the dental damage: Placing your dental crown may be more expensive if you require preliminary procedures like a root canal or dental implant placement.
- The material used to make the crown: Different materials come at different price points. We offer options such as porcelain, ceramic, zirconia, metal, and porcelain-fused-to-metal
- How the dental crown is manufactured: Using certain advanced methods can make crafting a crown more expensive
While it might be tempting to go with the cheapest option, it’s important to remember that you get what you pay for. A high-quality crown can be a solid investment that delivers better and longer-lasting results than a cheaper appliance.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Crowns?
Dental insurance plans usually cover dental crowns at about 50% since they are often considered medically necessary. However, each policy is different, and our staff is eager to help patients navigate their options so they can get the most from their coverage. We’ll be sure that you understand exactly what your insurance will pay for before you commit to treatment.
Options for Making Dental Crowns Affordable
While we accept insurance from many providers, we also have several other payment options for dental crowns. We offer financing plans through CareCredit, a trusted third-party financier that can break a dental bill into monthly payments that can be easily managed, which can be great for patients without insurance.
The only way we can provide you with a proper cost estimate for dental crowns is for you to schedule a consultation at our office. During this appointment, we will be happy to discuss your insurance and financing options to help you find the best solution for you and your budget.
Dental Crown FAQs
Does It Hurt to Get a Dental Crown?
At first, it may seem like dental crowns would be painful because your tooth generally needs more preparation than a filling. However, at Zen Dental Care we always numb the area around a tooth we’re working on, especially if we need to alter or clean it.
This ensures that you don’t feel any discomfort during the procedure. You may feel some pressure as Dr. Elsaid moves her instruments around the tooth, but it shouldn’t be painful. There may be some lingering soreness for a couple of days after your treatment, but it can usually be managed with over-the-counter pain medication.
What Are Dental Crowns Made Of?
Dental crowns are highly customizable when it comes to materials. Depending on the location of your crown, its purpose, and your budget, Dr. Elsaid may suggest different options. For example, a crown near the back of your mouth is usually placed under more stress and is less visible than a tooth in the front of your mouth. In that case, a metal crown might be more appropriate.
However, a more apparent tooth near the front may benefit from a porcelain or zirconia restoration for better aesthetics. In some cases, a fusion of porcelain and metal can solve the problem of stability and aesthetic appeal all at once.
Do Dental Crowns Get Cavities?
Dental crowns aren’t made from biological materials, so it’s impossible for them to be invaded by bacteria and decay. However, the tooth beneath the crown is still vulnerable. Many times, when a crown fails, it’s because of poor oral hygiene that rots the underlying tooth, causing it to weaken.
So, once your restoration is in place, it’s recommended to continue your regular oral hygiene routine. Brushing twice a day for two minutes at a time, floss between each tooth daily, and use an alcohol-free mouthwash to kill harmful oral bacteria. You should also visit us at least twice a year for checkups and cleanings to ensure your crown is secure and your teeth are healthy.
Can Dental Crowns Be Whitened?
Unfortunately, no. Your enamel, the hard outermost layer of your teeth, is porous to absorb vitamins and minerals from the food you eat. These same pores also trap pigments from the food and drinks you consume, staining them. Teeth whitening treatments use chemical agents like hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide to penetrate your enamel and break up these stains.
Because dental crowns are made of solid porcelain, they can’t be whitened. If you want your restorations to match your newly lightened smile, you’ll need to replace them. This can be avoided by adding whitening to your treatment plan in advance. That way, your crowns can be color-matched to blend in seamlessly.