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

Poland is one of Europe's fastest growing dental tourism destinations. Prices are among the lowest you will find in the EU, with Polish dentists charging between 40% and 70% less than many of their European counterparts. A porcelain crown for example, which costs roughly £500 in the UK, is available in Poland for around €100. Not surprising then, that over 3 thousand medical tourists arrived in Poland from the United Kingdom in 2007.

Our three most popular dental clinics are:

About Dentists In Poland

Some medical tourist companies offer treatment packages to Poland which include cosmetic or dental procedures plus recovery and recuperation in first-class spa resorts. Our most popular destinations in Poland are currently Krakow, Wroclaw and Poznan.

Get A Quote For Polish Dentistry

Many Polish dental clinics are ISO 9001 certified and have accreditation with the international Quality Monitoring Centre. Prior to EU membership Poland already possesed the dental infrastructure to avail of a greatly expanded patient base. The opening up of borders and the assurance of EU monitored quality levels in materials and laboratories make Poland a highly competitive destination.

The Polish Medical Chamber's dental wing oversears the profession - providing an ethical base that includes compulsory adherence to the principles of continuing education. To continue being licenced to practice, Dentists in Poland must gain a mimimun number of training points - amounting to about 200 hours of further education every four years. In general, the healthcare service is considered on a par with the rest of Europe.

Polish Dental Treatment Prices

The following price guide indicates the estimated cost of Dentistry in Poland. Please note that this is a guide only and you should always check with your dentist directly.

*Exchange rates from 08/2007

Qualifications And Training For Dentists in Poland

Poland follows the standard EU 5 year dental training programme. There are 10 dental schools with over 900 graduates each year. The standard of graduatees is high and many find employement in British and Irish clinics.

All dentists must re-register with the Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists every 4 years. During this period they must participate in mandatory continuing education to ensure their dental techniques are kept to the highest standards. The system is monitored and dentists must acrue 200 credit points from authorized training courses in each 4 year period of practice.

Dentists in Poland - Additional Information

Organizations

All Polish dentists are registered with the Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists. The chamber governs both dentisty and the larger medical field. Its duties include providing information for dentists and patients, supervison of clinical conduct and drafting of ethical standards. 23 regional divisions of the chamber apply its principles at local level.

The Polish Dental Association is the professional representative body for dentists in Poland. it is a full member of the European Dental Association. The Association promotes high standards in dentistry to its members. The association organizes continuing education courses. Membership is voluntary.

Dental Ethics

All Polish dentists must try to uphold their ethical code (agreed upon in 1993). There is additionally a European code of ethics that is supported by Polish dental organizations.

Both codes outline the duty to care of a dentist: That the patient's health should be foremost; that costs should be made clear as soon as a treatment course is outlined; that no unneccesary work should be carried out; that the dentist must respond to complaints and attempt to resolve the situation. A dentist who fails to comply to these ethical guidelines is subject to censure, suppension or removal of their licence to practice. Details of both codes are provided in the resources section below.

Complaints

Patients may address complaints to the Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists. The make up of the complaints committees depends on the nature of the complaint and a dental complaint may be judged by a panel of dentists or by a group of independant advisors. The Chamber has a number of options open to it, including removing a dentist's right to practice.

Complaints may also be handled through the normal law courts.

Data Protection

Polish dentists must respect patient confidentiality. Data must be stored in paper form but may be backed up by electronic means.

Resources

Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists
00-764 Warszawa, ul. Sobieskiego 110
tel: +22 559 1300
email: sekretariat@hipokrates.org
website: http://www.nil.org.pl
code of ethics: medical code

Polish Dental Association
ul. Kuźnicza 43/45
50-138 Wrocław
tel: +48 71 342 42 16
email: paradont@stom.am.wroc.pl
website: http://www.pts.net.pl/