There’s no getting away from the fact that dental crown cost in Australia doesn’t come cheap. You can expect to pay between $1100 to $2000 for a single dental crown. Ouch!
But what is a dental crown, where is it used, and why do they cost so much? Let’s start by explaining what a dental crown is.
Sitting over the whole tooth, dental crowns offer a simple solution for many different dental problems.
Some of the reasons you could be told you need a dental crown are as follows:
- You’ve just had a root canal and a crown is needed to help prevent the affected tooth from breaking apart
- Your tooth is cracked
- A worn-down tooth is compromising aesthetics and functionality. A crown can restore the tooth to its correct vertical dimension
- You have a large filling which is failing. Fillings don’t last forever and when you replace a broken filling and repair the cavity, often it needs extra protection to hold the tooth together and prevent more cavities from occurring.
There are many types of dental crowns including porcelain fused with metal, all-ceramic, zirconia and gold. Your dentist will advise you on what is best, depending on where the tooth to be capped is located in your mouth. Whichever type of crown you choose, they will all enhance the appearance and longevity of your natural teeth, enabling you to smile with confidence.
But why are dental crowns so expensive?
Paying for a dental crown may dent your wallet and in part, the cost is due to the technology that is used to create a dental crown to repair your tooth and resolve your dental problem.
What you need to remember is that everybody’s smile is unique, so each and every dental crown has to be tailored for an exact fit. It’s a bit like buying a made-to-measure suit rather than settling for one off the rails.
Drilling down the costs
Not only is the technology a major contributor to the cost, but there’s also the materials and time taken to construct a dental crown.
Most traditional dental crowns require a minimum of 2 dental visits. During the first visit, an impression will be taken of your teeth and a mould will be sent to the dental lab who are tasked with fabricating your new crown.
In the case of a porcelain or ceramic crown, your dentist will also need to provide a colour match to your natural teeth, for a seamless smile.
In the meantime, you may be issued with a temporary crown to protect your tooth. After several weeks of waiting, you’ll be called back to the dentist to have your crown fitted. Should there be any problems and adjustments are needed, then the crown will have to be sent back to the dental lab and there will be a further wait before a final fitting can take place.
Naturally, a portion of the dental crown cost is paid to the dental lab. Depending on the materials used, this can amount to anywhere between 20% and 35% of the total cost that the patient has to pay.
So now you know more about the cost of a dental crown in Australia, you’ll be pleased to know that there is another more convenient option.
Same Day Cerec Crown
At No Gaps Dental, we’re proud to offer patients Cerec Same Day Crowns – a revolutionary technology which speeds up the process of fabricating and installing a dental crown. Instead of you having to come back for two or more dental visits, CEREC crowns rely on modern computer-aided design (CAD) and milling technologies to design, create, and insert ceramic restorations all in a single appointment.
The term CEREC is an abbreviation for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Crowns and, as you might have guessed, the entire process is carried out by the dentist in one of our No Gaps clinics. This includes digital impressions, customised design, fabrication and installation.
How Does Cerec Technology Work?
The first step is to take a scan of the mouth using a digital intraoral scanner – no messy uncomfortable alginate here! This information is then fed into a computer program using CAD/CAM technology to communicate with a nearby milling machine. This then cuts and mills a perfectly fitting natural-looking crown. Taking little more than an hour from start to finish, your permanent crown is ready for fitting.
No temporaries, no waiting around – just a simple, straightforward process.
That’s great but what about the Cerec crown cost?
Of course, this technology has to be paid for and yes, it doesn’t come cheap. However, since there are no dental laboratory fees, you’ll be pleased to know that there is very little difference in the price between standard and Cerec crowns.
When you factor in the time-saving element, and the ease at which impressions are taken, most patients agree that a CEREC crown is the best way forward. Since the whole procedure is carried out in-house, should any adjustments be necessary, this can be done then and there without any hassle.
To find out more about the dental crown cost in Australia, contact the No Gaps Dental team in Chatswood. We have several clinics providing Cerec technology, so there’s sure to be one near you. Why not book an appointment today.
One Comment
Dakota Dunbabin
That seems like a fair cost given the crown’s lifespan and sustainability. Although it’s interesting to find out that the cost of a crown varies on different factors, which means that finding the cheapest crown out there is usually a big mistake as is finding the most expensive. Anyway, as far as I know, a portion of the cost of crowns is generally covered by insurance . I’ll need to check with my dental insurance to be certain.