Dental Crowns – St. Augustine, FL
Beautiful, Customized Dental Crowns to Restore Your Smile
At Salt Run Family Dentistry, we offer custom-crafted porcelain and ceramic dental crowns to help restore the function and feel of your smile without drawing attention to damaged teeth. Dental decay and trauma are common occurrences that can make your tooth vulnerable to infection or worse. Our dental crowns in St. Augustine are made to provide durable, long-lasting protection and strength so you can enjoy your natural smile for decades to come.
Why Choose Salt Run Family Dentistry For Dental Crowns?
- One-Visit CEREC Dental Crowns
- Natural-Looking Dental Materials
- Stain-Resistant Dental Porcelain
What is a Dental Crown?
Dental crowns are cap-like structures that are customized to fit over the biting surface of a tooth to restore its size, shape, and strength. They can be made from a variety of materials, but many patients prefer to have them crafted from natural-looking dental porcelain or ceramic. After they’re permanently cemented onto a prepared, damaged tooth, they can continue providing protection for years to come.
Why Do You Need a Dental Crown?
Many patients aren’t aware of how versatile of a treatment dental crowns are. These restorations can help you continue using your natural tooth like you normally would and prevent the threat of serious oral health problems down the road. Here are some reasons why we may suggest getting a dental crown:
- Large cavities that can’t be repaired with a filling.
- Broken or severely damaged tooth.
- Weak teeth that are in danger of breaking.
- Teeth that have received root canal therapy.
- Severely misshapen or discolored teeth.
- To replace a single tooth with a dental implant.
- Securing a bridge in place.
What Are CEREC Same-Day Crowns?
At Salt Run Family Dentistry, we also offer same-day CEREC dental crowns. For this process, we utilize an in-office milling machine as well as a special software that helps us design a precisely-fitted crown from a digital blueprint. Once the specifications of the crown have been established, the milling machine will carve your unique restoration from a block of stain-resistant and durable dental porcelain. In a single appointment, we’ll be able to prepare your tooth and place your crown so you don’t have to take multiple days off of work.
How Long Will Your Crown Last?
With daily maintenance, your dental crown can last for up to 15 years. Some care tips that we typically suggest to help extend the lifespan of your crown include:
- Brush and floss every day.
- Continue visiting our office for checkups and cleanings.
- Avoid sticky, hard, and chewy foods.
- Stop bad oral habits, like nail-biting and tobacco use.
- Use a nightguard to protect your teeth from grinding.
If you have any other questions or concerns after your crown placement, don’t hesitate to contact our office.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Crowns
Your financial situation should not stand in the way of getting a dental crown. There's no flat fee for crowns because every mouth and situation are unique. However, your dentist at Salt Run Family Dentistry strives to provide the payment solutions you need to accommodate your budget. You'll get a high-quality crown without it costing you an arm or a leg. You won't have to compromise quality or aesthetics to stay within your budget.
Factors That Affect the Cost of Dental Crowns
There isn't a one-size-fits-all dental crown. Several things will affect the amount you will pay, which may include:
- Preliminary Procedures: Dental crowns are versatile and can be used along with many other procedures, like root canal therapy or a fixed bridge. Depending on your situation, you may require a little prep work before getting your restoration, which can increase the cost. Don't worry, your dentist will explain exactly what you can expect on the road ahead.
- The Tooth Being Treated: Molars can be a little more complex because they are larger than your front teeth. The location of your tooth can influence your estimate.
- Materials: You'll find discounted materials, but they may not have the same durability, aesthetics, or lifespan as other options. We recommend the best all-ceramic materials to ensure your crown looks natural and will last for many years with the correct care. Your dentist will help you choose a perfect material for your smile and financial situation.
After examining your mouth, your dentist will create a personalized treatment plan and a member of our team will review your estimate.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Crowns?
Every situation is different, but most dental insurance covers a portion of the cost of crowns. Your benefits may include your initial consultation, any imaging, or preliminary procedures. Most dental insurance considers crowns a major service, so they are typically covered 50% after meeting your deductible. You can use your annual allowance to lower the amount you'll pay out-of-pocket. A member of our office will work on your behalf with your dental insurance to maximize any appropriate coverage. They'll explain how your benefits are being used and if there's any remaining balance.
Options for Making Dental Crowns Affordable
Our office offers many solutions to keep dentistry affordable for everyone. Besides using your dental insurance, we accept other payment solutions, including:
- Traditional Payments: Salt Run Family Dentistry accepts cash, personal checks, and credit cards.
- Monthly Payments: You can pay any out-of-pocket expenses using a monthly payment plan through a third-party financing company, like CareCredit. Based on your credit approval, you can enjoy little or no interest in financing to pay for your treatment using monthly installments.
If you have any questions about your payment options, contact our office today.
Dental Crowns FAQs
What are Dental Crowns Made From?
It’s natural to wonder what dental crowns are made from before deciding to move forward with this treatment. Historically, dentists provided metallic covers made from options like gold, silver, nickel, and others. Although restorations made this way are quite durable, they also leave teeth looking darker than usual.
Today, our team in St. Augustine provides more lifelike caps made from resilient ceramic that can be customized to match the size, shape, and hue of your natural teeth for seamless results that often last just as long as their metal counterparts. We also offer same-day CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics) crowns that are carved out of a block of durable porcelain using an onsite milling machine.
Are Dental Crowns Permanent?
These tooth-shaped covers are usually not considered permanent because they tend to eventually wear down and require replacement. However, for them to fit correctly, our team must remove a small amount of enamel from the underlying tooth, which doesn’t regenerate. That means getting a dental crown involves making an irreversible change that slightly weakens the structure of your tooth. Fortunately, your restoration is likely to last 10 to 15+ years if you care for it properly.
Do CEREC Same-Day Crowns Last as Long as Traditional Dental Crowns?
Traditional dental crowns typically require multiple visits over a few weeks because they are created at a special dental laboratory and delivered to our office for fitting. But it’s not always ideal to wait that long before covering your injured tooth, so our team also offers same-day CEREC dental crowns carved by an onsite milling machine.
If you’re concerned that choosing this option means you’re sacrificing quality for convenience, you can thankfully set your fears aside. CEREC restorations are made from a strong porcelain that lasts just as long as the traditional type with routine maintenance.
Do Dental Crowns Get Cavities?
It’s natural to wonder whether your protective cap is susceptible to tooth decay, but it’s not made from the same organic components as your teeth and, therefore, won’t get cavities. Not only that, but porcelain is less porous than enamel, so your prosthetic is less likely to become chipped, cracked, or stained than your natural teeth.
However, the underlying tooth is still susceptible to decay, so it’s essential that you continue to brush and floss twice daily to remove plaque and bacteria that contribute to common oral issues.