All Clinics that provide Crown in US

Restoration for damaged or worn teeth

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:

US	UK	Hungary	Poland	Belgium	Mexico	Costa Rica	Thailand
$1325	$795	$360	$300	$1060	$185	$290	$380
€1000	€600	€270	€225	€800	€140	€220	€285
£905	£545	£245	£205	£725	£125	£200	£260

Dentistry in the US

Today's dentists are highly sophisticated health professionals who provide a wide range of oral health care that contributes to the general health and quality of their patients' lives.

Dentists are trained to treat all patients, adults and children, in many different treatment facilities and settings. In doing so, a general dentist may:

- use the latest techniques and equipment to examine the oral cavity to identify and diagnose oral conditions that may manifest into systemic disease and determine the oral health of the patient;
- use radiographic, computer-generated imaging, and other specialized diagnostic techniques to identify diseases of the teeth, supporting bone and gingival tissues, and other tissues in the oral cavity and head and neck;
- restore and replace teeth damaged by decay, lost from trauma or disease, with newly developed dental materials, implants, and crown and bridge techniques;
- perform corrective surgery on gums and supporting bones to treat gum disease;
- extract teeth when necessary using the most up-to-date anesthetic techniques;
- eliminate pain arising from oral diseases, conditions and trauma, making use of prescriptive medicines to reduce pain and discomfort;
- correct mal-positioned teeth to improve chewing, speech, digestion of food and appearance;
- provide instruction and advice on oral health care and preventive measures to maintain healthy oral tissues and prevent oral disease;
- evaluate the overall health of their patients including taking and evaluating comprehensive medical histories;
- oversee the administration and business of private practice and frequently employ and supervise a large number of staff and allied dental personnel to help treat their family of patients.

US dental specialties

Approximately 80% of all US dentists are general dentists. Additional experience, training or education beyond a DMD or DDS allows general dentists to specialize. The American Dental Association formally recognizes 9 specialty areas of dental practice:

Endodontics – diagnosis and treatment of injuries that are specific to the dental nerves and pulp (matter inside the tooth).
Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology - study and research of the causes, processes, and effects of diseases with oral manifestations.
Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology - taking and interpretation of conventional, digital, CT, MRI, and allied imaging modalities of oral-facial structures and disease.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery – diagnostic services and treatment for injuries, diseases, and defects of the neck, head jaw, and associated structures.
Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics – diagnosis and treatment of problems related to irregular dental development, missing teeth, and other abnormalities.
Pediatric Dentistry – treatment of children from birth to adolescence.
Periodontics - corrective surgery on gums and supporting bones to treat gum disease.
Prosthodontics - restoration and replacement of teeth damaged by decay, lost from trauma or disease, with fixed or removable appliances constructed with newly developed dental material.
Dental Public Health - development of policies and programs, such as health care reform, that affect the community at large.

Allied dental professions

Dental assistants perform a variety of patient care, office, and laboratory work. Additional duties vary from state to state, depending on that state's Dental Practice Act, and depending upon how involved the dentist would like the assistant to be.

Dental hygienists are preventive oral health professionals who have graduated from an accredited dental hygiene program in an institution of higher education, licensed in dental hygiene to provide educational, clinical, research, administrative, and therapeutic services supporting total health through the promotion of optimum oral health.

Dental laboratory technology is the art and science of manufacturing corrective devices and replacements for natural teeth. A dental lab technician (also called dental technician) works closely with the dentist, who plans the treatment and places the restoration or corrective device in the patient's mouth. There are two types of dentistry which call for the skills of a dental lab tech. Restorative (or prosthetic) dentistry is peformed when patients lose teeth through an accident or illness, and the teeth must be replaced to maintain normal functions. Orthodontic treatment is provided when teeth must be moved or stabilized to optimize function or to prevent painful dysfunction.

Resources

American Dental Association
211 East Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611-2678
312-440-2500
website: www.ada.org

American Dental Association has more than 156,000 dentist members. It was established in 1859 and it's the world's oldest and largest national dental asssociation. The Association's official publication is The Journal of the American Dental Association.

American Dental Education Association
1400 K Street, NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005
Tel: 202-289-7201
Fax: 202-289-7204
website: www.adea.org

The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) is a national organization representing academic dentistry. ADEA members are more than 16,000 students, faculty, staff, and administrators from all of the US and Canadian dental schools, many allied and postdoctoral education programs, and numerous corporations working in oral health education.

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