Hunker would like to know about crowns - types and prices

[hunkermunker]

I'm having my front teeth replaced soon.

My current teeth are crowned and are awful.

The dentist has offered two sorts of crown (forgive me if I get the terms wrong) - a bonded one (porcelain?) with a metal back, which is what I have now - and I HATE the black backs of them. Or a ceramic one (can that be right?! Or is it also porcelain? Or something else, like, I dunno, tooth?!)that's the same colour front and back, which he says is a lovely tooth and looks v natural, but it's not quite as strong as the metal-backed one.

The metal-backed ones are £350 each, the other ones are £600 each.

I may also need a post inserted because I've had root canal work on my left tooth (another £120).

Are these typical prices? What about implants? Would that be better for the tooth with the root canal?

TIA.

Toothy bump!

You're a dento-phobe aren't you? Well done for braving the old chair.

Funnily enough I have a price list in front of me from my current place of dental torture (where they are systematically extracting my molars) and it says:

Porcelain bonded to metal £395
Express/Procera all-porcelain crowns £600
Cast post extra to crown fee £120
Full gold crown [should you be going for the Goldie look] £400

No idea on the prices hunker.

dh has two front teeth on posts [over the handlebars accident as a boy] I think the metal backed ones. He has had intermittent problems with infection around the posts, I think because of a cavity in the gum left by the root canal. Would implants be really expensive?

I was getting all ready to tell you everything I know about crowns

Hunker - I'm impressed! Well done on getting them sorted out - hope it goes well.

Yes, v phobic - this is a new surgery I'm going to, which helps massively - don't think I could get up the path of the old one!

I've decided to bite the bullet (ha!) and have it done, because I know I've put it off too long.

Although I am reasoning that I've saved enough for one crown at least by not going to the dentist for over a decade!

PW, maybe my prices are pretty standard then!

Saggars, not sure - think they're pretty expensive and bone infection a risk too [grim] Poor DH I broke mine on a seesaw.

Squonk - pmsl!

Dotty - thank you!

You would need to have the root extracted to have an implant, as the post for the implant is fitted directly into the bone.

If you have a strong root then a post & crown is your better (& least expensive) option.

The prices you have been Q'd sound very reasonable to me, the last practice I worked at charged more than that 4+ years ago.

The ceramic option would be best, as you said, no metal backing/understrucure used, so you wouldn't get that dark line at the gum line.

But they aren't as strong. This usually isn't a problem, unless you clench/grind alot.

Saggar, the fact that your dh has recurent infections is not good. Recurrent infection can compromise the bone & lead (worse case senario) to him losing the remiander of the tooth structure & needing dentures/inplants.

Recureent infection can be down to a few things, mainly that the crowns aren't the best fit, or his oral hygiene isn't the best.

It is important that he flosses all the spaces around the crowns (and pref the rest of his mouth) after each meal, (or he can use interdental brushes if he finds them easier), brushes at least twice daily & rinses with a good brand, alcohol free mouthrinse at least before bed.

If he has this routine & follows it religiously, then he should get the crowns looked at.

Sorry, imcomplete sentance!

If he has this routine & follows it religiously but still has recurrent problems, then he should get the crowns looked at.

Thanks sandcastles. He had both the crowns and posts completely replaced about a year ago and touch wood hasn't had anything since. I think it was because they weren't a good fit.

hunker, I had a porcelain filling a few years ago and it kept breaking - and every time it did so it took more of my tooth with it . However, it was a molar so maybe it wasn't a good idea to have porcelain there as it is subject to a lot of grinding etc! If your dentist (and sandcastles as an impartial expert ) are recommending porcelain then I would go with it. They do look nice.

saggar, I am pleased he seems to be clear now.

Is likely that they weren't a good fit, or simply old.