Dental Crowns
Restoration for damaged or worn teeth

You can browse a list of clinics that provide dental crowns here on RevaHealth.com. If you need any help deciding which clinic to choose, just ask us for help.

Crowns tend to be quite expensive and therefore individuals are increasingly looking to other destinations to cut down the cost.  In addition there have been several advances in the field with newer porcelain crowns offering a better cosmetic appearance and only requiring a single visit.

What are Dental Crowns?

A crown is a cap that typically completely covers a single tooth and adds strength, stability and durability to an otherwise weakened structure. It can be made out of gold or ceramic and is typically fitted by a dentist in one or two visits. Crowns tend to be expensive with US pricing ranging from $600 to $3,000 dollar and are therefore one of the more common treatment sought by dental tourists.

You might need a crown if:

• If a lot of your tooth has decayed and there isn't enough tooth structure to fill in the same way that small cavities are filled
• A large section of your tooth has fractured off
• You have a large cavity and are opting for the addition protection that a crown offers against fracture and decay
• You have implants and are opting for crowns to be fitted
• If you have had a root canal on one of your rear teeth then a crown is typically required to strengthen the tooth
• If you want a better smile but veneers/implants are not appropriate
• Grinding or acid erosion has significantly reduced the tooth

What is the procedure like?

The tooth in question needs to be prepared by stripping off the entire top covering (enamel) of the tooth where the crown is to be fitted. It should be noted that this process is not reversible.  From this point on, the procedure differs greatly according to the type of crown being fitted. In the instance of gold crowns, a mould is taken and sent to a laboratory so that the crown can be manufactured. This can take anywhere from days to weeks, so a second visit is required for the crown to be fitted. Your dentist should supply you with a temporary crown or ‘flipper’ for you to wear in the interim. Certain ceramic crowns can be made in the dentist’s surgery and fitted in a single visit.

What different types exist?

Full gold crowns – Although called full gold these are normally an alloy of various metals. Check with your dentist that the ‘gold’ they are using contains at least 75% noble metal. Gold crowns are typically made by taking a wax impression and having the crown fabricated in a laboratory and then fitted in a latter visit.  As gold crowns require at least two visits to a dentist, many dental tourist opt for ceramic varieties, however it should be noted that many dentist still regard full gold crowns as being superior in the long terms.

Porcelain fused to Metal Crowns – In order to achieve a more natural look on visible teeth, porcelain can be fused to metal crowns.  This is a different process to full gold crowns as more of the original tooth needs to be removed in order to make space for the porcelain. Although gold can be used normally, a different metal alloy is used because of the intense heat of the fabrication process. The latest and most expensive material used is circoniumoxide.  

Porcelain Crowns - There are two main types of porcelain crown. The traditional variety is felspathic and is created in a lab making porcelain. The newer type is created by a single ingot and can be created by specialised equipment in the dentist’s surgery.  This makes porcelain crowns particularly attractive to the dental tourist as they can be completed in a single visit.

Procera (Alumina or zironia) – Procera AllCeram is a brand name for natural looking crown created by covering a alumina or zironia core with ceramic.  The crown is created by computer- aided manufacturing rather than the traditional casting process. Studies by Procera have shown a very high success rate over 5 and 10 years.

CERAC – Is the current leader in computer aided crown manufacture in the US. The crown is created out of ceramic and rather than being fabricated in a laboratory, it is build in specialized (and expensive) equipment in the Dentist’s surgery. This can result in crowns being fitted in a single visit.

What affects the price?

There are a huge number of factors that determine the price. It is important when you are comparing prices, you are comparing like with like.  Look for details like:

• The type of crown you are getting
• Is a pin required to anchor the crown?
• Is root canal work required?
• Additional work that may need to be performed

Price Comparison

Price lists should always be viewed with caution as many factors can increase or decrease the resulting price. The follow table gives some indicative costs for crowns across the world:

Dentists in Greece
Save yourself up to 70% on cosmetic dentistry in Greece

Athens is one of Europe's oldest and most renouned cities. The Parthenon stands above a viberant modern centre, where museums filled with priceless antiquities stand among streets busy with cafes, restaraunts and great shopping.

Benefits of travelling to Greece

Greece and in particular Athens is a highly desirable dental destination. Access is easy with frequent flights from many airlines across Europe. An EU member since 1982 Greece has adapted its medical and dental institutions to fully conform with stringent EU standards: These include the monitoring of facilities and checks on the quality of equipment and materials used during procedures. A lower costs basis compared to Northern and Western European countries enable Greek dentists to compete at the highest levels of quality while offering substantially cheaper prices

Our three most popular dental clinics are:

Dentists in Greece - Qualifications

Qualification to practice dentistry in Greece is obtained after a 5 year (10 semester) university degree course. The quality of this training is adapted to the EU standard, allowing Greek dentists to practice elsewhere in the EU. Dentists from other member states may practice in Greece once they are in good standing with their own dental authority and can show a proficiency in the Greek language.

After qualification a number of continuing education options are available after a minimun of two years clinical experience. Two specialties are recognized by the Greek dental authorities: Orthodontics - a three year course; and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery which has an extensive 5 year training period. Addtional courses are available concentrating on specific procedure types such as Implant Biology and Prosthodontics: These courses are awarded a diploma or masters.

Dentists in Greece - Additional Information

Organizations

The Hellenic Dental Association (HDA) is the professional association for dentists in Greece. Membership is compulsory. All dentists must be registered with one of the 52 Regional Dental Societies which themselves are automatic members of the HDA.

Dental Ethics

Greek dentists follow a code of ethics that expands upon the core European code of ethics. It is administered at a local level by regional dental associations and centrally by the Hellenic Dental Association.

Continuing education

There is mandatory continuing education though no process for accessment is presently in place. A large number of 2-3 year courses are available to dentists to broaden their skill set into various specialties such as: Implants Biology; Endodontics; Prosthodontics etc...

Complaints

Complaints may be lodged with the Dental Association or directly with the Central Disciplinary Council of the the Ministry of Health. A fine or censure may be issued and in extreme cases the right to practice may be removed. Action through the civil courts is also possible.

Data Protection

The 2005 Code of Medical Ethics has articles covering a patients right to access their medical records (article 11) as well as the obligations of the medical professionals to protect that data.
Data is also protected under Act 2472/97 where medical records are designated as sensitive data: this category imposes additional obligations on the storage and access to data.

Resources

Ministry of Health
Ministry of Health and Welfare
17-19 Aristotelous Street
GR- 101 87 Athens
Tel: +32 10 52 32 821-9
Email: webmaster@mohaw.gr
Website: www.mohaw.gr/ (in Greek)

Hellenic Dental Association
38, Themistokleous Street
GR- 106 78 Athens
Tel: +32 10 38 13 380
+32 10 33 02 343
Fax: +32 10 38 34 385
E-mail: eoo@otenet.gr
Website: www.eoo.gr (in Greek)

Council of Euopean Dentists
CED/DLC Code of Ethics (Word Doc)