All 14 Clinics that provide Crown in Plymouth

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:

Dentistry in the UK

The UK has some of the world's longest established medical and dental organizations. It has played a central role in shaping the ethical and scientific face of modern dental practice. Dentists are monitored by the Dental Practice Board. The board carrys out checks on the standard of dentistry through patient questionaires and clinic visits. Record keeping and the correct charging of fees are also monitored. Dentists opperating within entirely private practices (about 5% of dentists) are not subject to these monitoring processes. Dental practices offering general anaesthesia or using laser treatments are monitored by the HealthCare Commission, which produces extremely detailed reports on all aspects of the dental clinic's operations.

While NHS dental treatment is great for the continuing health of your teeth, it does not concentrate on the cosmetic aspects of dental care. If you want your teeth to look good as well as being healthy you may need specialist treatments which are unavailable on the NHS. The UK has nine recognised specialties and each specialty will have additional specialization in specific procedures such as implantology (implant's for the replacement of missing teeth). A large number of continuing training options are available in the UK providing professional development and postgraduate dental courses at the highest levels.

Information about Plymouth

Plymouth has a population of over 240,000 people. The city was heavily bombed by the Germans during World War II in a series of 59 raids known as the Plymouth Blitz. The city is divided into 20 wards, 17 of which elect three councillors and the other three electing two councillors, making up a total council of 57. Each year a third of the council is up for election for three consecutive years — there are no elections on the following "fourth" year, which is when County Council elections take place. The city lies between the River Plym to the east and the River Tamar to the west; both rivers flow into the natural harbour of Plymouth Sound. It's economy has traditionally been maritime, in particular the defence sector with over 12,000 people employed and approximately 7,500 in the armed forces. It's post-war shopping area in the city centre with substantial pedestrianisation. Plymouth was one of the first ten British cities to trial the new Business Improvement District initiative. The University of Plymouth is the 11th largest university in the United Kingdom by total number of students.

Resources

The biggest choice of crown clinics in Plymouth with Prices, Patient Reviews, Maps. Everything you need to find the best crown for you in Plymouth.