Dental crowns: When are they needed, Types and Prices

The dental crown is a prosthesis that has all the qualities, or almost, because its price is a bit high. It can replace any tooth without damaging the others.

What is a dental crown?

A dental crown is a prosthesis that replaces a damaged tooth. Either it is fixed on the remains of a devitalized and cut tooth and in this case rests on a pivot, or the tooth has been pulled out (with its root) and the dentist must fix an implant in the jawbone which serves as a base for the crown.

The crown is used in many cases, because it can replace all or part of a tooth. It is made from a mold, so it is shaped according to the part it replaces.

The different materials making up the dental crown

The dental crown can be made from a variety of materials.

The metal crown

The metal crown is the least expensive, but also the most unsightly. With its metallic color, it does not go unnoticed, which disqualifies it to replace the most visible teeth.

When used for premolars and molars, the metal dental crown remains visible when you speak, let alone laugh.

It is indeed cheaper, but since it will stay in your mouth for at least 20 years, it is better to find a way to choose the higher range.

The golden crown

Some people still demand gold dental crowns. Even though this demand is becoming marginal, dentists – and especially the dental technicians who manufacture them – continue to study their characteristics.

While it was once a way to prove financial affluence, the gold crown is now rare.

The ceramic crown

The ceramic crown is the most aesthetic, in addition to being of high quality. The techniques for making it have evolved a lot, with high-tech cuts of a remarkable precision. Hopefully, this process will bring down the prices, when the machines become more affordable.

The crown is made of a resin shell, which is covered with a ceramic coating. The dental technician will make your crown in a shade that your dentist has given him or her and that perfectly matches your natural teeth.

The raw material lasts for decades. From the age of 20 onwards, it can show failures that compromise its watertightness, which sometimes triggers infections and abscesses that force it to be replaced.

The ceramic-metallic crown

The metal-ceramic crown is a hybrid between the two above-mentioned crowns: its metal shell is covered with a ceramic material that is the same color as your natural teeth.

The ceramic-metal crown is of excellent quality and lasts as long as the others. However, for the upper incisors, it is advisable to use a purely ceramic crown, as the gray of the metal can be seen under your gums. It is not disturbing for your other teeth, because the effect remains discreet.

The ceramic-zirconia crown

The zirconia crown is made of a zirconium oxide shell, then covered with ceramic, which allows it to match the color of your natural teeth. Since zirconium oxide is white, the zirconium crown can be used to replace any tooth.

This is the most recent crown. It benefits from CAD (Computer Aided Design) techniques for a result perfectly adapted to the tooth it replaces. It has the same qualities as the ceramic crown.

The resin crown

The resin crown is temporary. It is used while your permanent crown is being made or while you receive other treatments. For example, if you have developed an abscess, you should wait several months to ensure that it has resolved before placing the final crown.

The dentist puts an airtight bandage underneath, because the resin quickly becomes porous and lets bacteria through.

The resin crown prevents you from remaining edentulous, which poses an aesthetic problem for the visible teeth, but also a jaw problem. Indeed, if you stay several months with a missing premolar for example, the other teeth will move to take its place.

The cost of a dental crown

The cost of your dental crown depends on your dentist (and his or her region), as well as the material you choose. However, since January^1, 2020, prices are capped, following the reform of the zero out-of-pocket expenses :

• Ceramic or ceramic-metallic crown : 500 € ;
• Zirconia crown : 440 € ;
• Metallic crown : 290 €.

In concrete terms, the “100% Health” basket applies from January^1, 2020 for :

• visible teeth (incisors, canines and first premolars): to ceramic-metallic crowns and monolithic ceramics excluding zirconia;
• visible teeth: with zirconia crowns;
• all teeth: to metal crowns;
• incisors: with metal-ceramic bridges.

But if you wish to opt for a more aesthetic crown, therefore not capped, you can also call upon your mutual insurance company to supplement the reimbursement of the Social Security. Find out now which offers are best suited to your needs with our free mutual insurance comparison tool:

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