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 Italy
Save yourself up to 70% on cosmetic dentistry in Italy

Italy is a treasure house of wonders. From the snowy peaks of the alps, through the galleries and churches of beautiful cities, to the beaches of a seemingly endless coastline, Italy has inspired travellers for hundreds of years.

Benefits of Italian Dentistry

Italy has a well regulated dental profession and for the traveller a huge variety of location. Outside of the big cities prices can be very competitive thanks to reduced costs. Implants for example can cost around 900 Euro, far less than in the U.K or Ireland.

Qualifications

Italian dentists receive a 5 year training from one of Italy's 30 dental schools. There are two recognized specialties, Orthodontics and Oral Surgery.

Continuing education is mandatory for dentists opperating within the public sector. Courses are accredited by the Ministry of Health and a dentist must acquire 150 credits in each 4 year period to stay in the public employment. Continuing education is promoted by all dental organizations in Italy and formal procedures for evaluating continuous professional development, outside the public sector, are currently under investigation. Article 19 of the ethical code stresses the requirement for continuous updating of skills, both medical and organizational, to provide the best treatment possible.

Our three most popular dental clinics are:

Additional Information

Organizations

The Federazione Ordini Medici Chirurghi e Odontoiatri (FNOMCeO) holds the register of dentists in Italy. The body is divided into provincial orders (103 in all) which promote the profession and keep the register up to date.

The Associazione Nazionale Dentisti Italiani and the Associazione Italiana Odontoiatri are the two main organizations representing the dental profession in Italy.

Ethics

Complaints

FNOMCeO inforces the ethical code for dentists in Italy. Each provincial order organizes an ethical committee which judges complaints against registered dentists. Complaints can result in the temporary or permanent suspension of a dentist's right to practice - such a judgement is binding across all 103 provinces.

Complaints may also be persued through the civil courts and any complaint brought to a provincial ethical committee of a criminal nature will be handled by the courts.

Data Protection

The ethical code details the requirements of Italian dentists to preserve the privacy of their patients and the safe storage of that data (articles 10, 11 and 12).

Dentists are also bound by civil law on the protection of sensitive data which complies with E.U. data protection laws.

Resources

Federazione Ordini Medici Chirurghi e Odontoiatri
Piazza Cola di Rienzo 80/A,
Roma
tel: +39 06 362031
website: www.fnomceo.it
ethical code: attach_3819.pdf(in Italian)

Ministry of Health
Lungotevere Ripa,
1 - 00153 Roma.
tel: +39 06 59941
website: http://www.ministerosalute.it/(in Italian)