Need Crown For Tooth

[easysurfer]

Went for a dental cleaning and exam today.

The dentist said from the x-rays they took last cleaning, I need a crown on my upper tooth (3rd from back). I'll be back at dentist tomorrow morning to get this over with.

I expect that'll cost about another $1000.

 

[euro]

Went for a dental cleaning and exam today.

The dentist said from the x-rays they took last cleaning, I need a crown on my upper tooth (3rd from back). I'll be back at dentist tomorrow morning to get this over with.

I expect that'll cost about another $1000.

Sorry to hear that, but at least you are getting a good deal. In my neck of the woods, this is a $1500 gig

 

[OldShooter]

If you have a local university dental school clinic you should go there for a second opinion and, if the crown is necessary, consider getting the work done there. They have no economic interest in selling you a crown and the work is QC'd by expert faculty. The fact that this dentist can get you in so fast may be an indication that his business is slow and you actually do not need the crown.

 

[Retch The Grate]

I just had to get one as well, temp crown got replaced with the permanent on Tuesday. My dentist was strongly in favor of Zirconia so trying that out, I've been going with gold for all my recent crowns, so this is the first ceramic one in a while. He promised me that the tech is new and these all ceramic crowns are much stronger than the older enamel on metal that I didn't like. The new crown feels great. My payment was a bit over $1070, presumably after my insurance covered some of it, will see if there is more in a few weeks for the placement. Apparently if I had gone with gold like I had originally wanted it would have been much more expensive due to the cost of materials these days (plus the labs don't like working with gold anymore he said).

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

Went for a dental cleaning and exam today.

The dentist said from the x-rays they took last cleaning, I need a crown on my upper tooth (3rd from back). I'll be back at dentist tomorrow morning to get this over with.

I expect that'll cost about another $1000.

Did they not give you a price up front?

 

[tfudtuckerpucker]

Here's my crown story. Many years ago, my dentist told me I needed 5(!) crowns. I never had a crown up till then, and being fairly naive, and trusting the medical professional, I told him to submit the xrays to my insurance. My insurance approved 2 of the crowns, indicating the other 3 were not needed. In hindsight, I'm very grateful that my insurance did that. Now many years later, I never got the other 3 crowns that were "needed". And recently, I had to pick a new dentist, because I moved to a new city. He took xrays and told me I need a crown in a molar. He even gave me nice color photos as "proof". So I went to a different dentist, who did not find any problems. I will never get another crown, unless I get a second opinion. There's too much money at stake for some (not all, of course) dentists to resist. I know there's another thread about this, but I want to warn to be careful.

 

[Aerides]

Eh mine tell me that all the time. If it's not a bother, I say "I'll keep an eye on that" and check again in 6 months.

 

[easysurfer]

Did they not give you a price up front?

No, I'm just going by memory from past crowns.

 

[COcheesehead]

My dentist does the 3D printed ones while you sit in the chair. About $850 and one visit. I have one in my mouth now. No problems going on 4 years. I also have the old make a mold kind too. They act the same.

 

[aaronc879]

Eh mine tell me that all the time. If it's not a bother, I say "I'll keep an eye on that" and check again in 6 months.

Oh, yeah, I would not even consider a crown unless something is causing me pain. I have had two along with two root canals on the same teeth. Each of those 4 things cost around $1000 a piece back in 2012.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

I've never let a dentist start work without knowing what it's going to cost me and that was even back when I had insurance as well.
Is that normal for your dentist, it just seems weird to me?

 

[Calico]

Sorry to hear that, but at least you are getting a good deal. In my neck of the woods, this is a $1500 gig

Yup, that's what I paid for each of my last two crowns.

 

[Midpack]

I got my one and only crown a few years ago, and it has served me well ever since. My old dentist up north flagged a tooth that could be a problem and told me it was 50/50 re: having a crown done. She said it might be OK without, but if the tooth cracks a crown won’t be possible. I decided to wait and she was OK with that. Moved and the new dentist basically concluded the same thing, this time I decided I’d be better off not risking a cracked tooth that couldn’t be repaired. YMMV

Interestingly my dentist now offers same day crowns (and bridges) using the CEREC process.

 

[VanWinkle]

I got my one and only crown a few years ago, and it has served me well ever since. My old dentist up north flagged a tooth that could be a problem and told me it was 50/50 re: having a crown done. She said it might be OK without, but if the tooth cracks a crown won’t be possible. I decided to wait and she was OK with that. Moved and the new dentist basically concluded the same thing, this time I decided I’d be better off not risking a cracked tooth that couldn’t be repaired. YMMV

Interestingly my dentist now offers same day crowns (and bridges) using the CEREC process.

I just had a crown placed on a cracked tooth, but there was a process he used to secure the crack prior to the crown. I have no idea if it will work as this is a new dentist for me in Tennessee. He has also done 2 implants and I am waiting for the crowns on those. Thank God for dental Insurance from my company.

VW

 

[harllee]

If you have a cracked tooth and your dentist advises a crown I would go ahead and get one. One time I waited and the cracked tooth fell apart while I was on vacation, terrible pain and I was miserable for days until I could get it fixed. I learned my lesson.

 

[brett]

Between crowns and implant fees I feel certain that I have sent my dentist and his family on several winter trips to Hawaii.

Last time I had a cracked tooth the dentist insisted on pulling it there and then. Time before that....he arranged for me to come back in a few hours and have it pulled by an associate.
I was not in any discomfort but the dentist said I would be if it was not actioned.

 

[CincyDave]

I recently broke a piece off a molar on a popcorn kernel. Needs a crown. My out of pocket for the crown is going to be a little over $500. Do you people quoting prices of $1000 to $1500 have dental insurance or is that without insurance?

 

[aaronc879]

I recently broke a piece off a molar on a popcorn kernel. Needs a crown. My out of pocket for the crown is going to be a little over $500. Do you people quoting prices of $1000 to $1500 have dental insurance or is that without insurance?

I paid $1000 a piece for two crowns without insurance but that was almost 12 years ago. Don't want to know what it would cost now.

 

[gwill1010]

Went for a dental cleaning and exam today.

The dentist said from the x-rays they took last cleaning, I need a crown on my upper tooth (3rd from back). I'll be back at dentist tomorrow morning to get this over with.

Why?

 

[EastWest Gal]

gwill1010 is right. Ask why.

Reasons to get a crown:

https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/dental-crowns
Hmmm-the dentist told you so is not on that list. And some finding on Xray is not on that list either.

I had a crown a few months ago due to a very sensitive and painful tooth, with a large filling from childhood. My dentist evaluated my symptoms and did a number of physical exam type tests to decide crown vs. root canal.

No dentist can tell you that you need a crown based on an Xray alone. Just like no doctor should be making a diagnosis without evaluating you (not just an Xray).

Did your dentist suddenly get a 3D printer that makes crowns and wants to generate income for his/her practice? Worth exploring IMO.

 

[Nash]

Dental cleanings and exams are opportunities for dentists to sell you something.

Dentists are salesmen. If the tooth is not causing pain, say no to the sales pitch.

 

[mn54]

My dentist does the 3D printed ones while you sit in the chair. About $850 and one visit. I have one in my mouth now. No problems going on 4 years. I also have the old make a mold kind too. They act the same.

crowns are not 3D printed. you use a scanner to take a digital impression of the teeth, design the crown on the computer, and then send the information to a milling machine that precisely mills the crown from a block of whatever type of crown you will have, i.e. ceramic, zirconium, etc.

 

[stepford]

Eh mine tell me that all the time. If it's not a bother, I say "I'll keep an eye on that" and check again in 6 months.

Let me tell you my recent "I'll keep an eye on that" crown story. DW and I planned a fairly long (10 week) trip around Europe this past fall. In preparation I had my periodic teeth cleaning and dental check up about 10 days before leaving. During the check up the dentist found an area of decay near the base of a crown. He recommended going after the decay and replacing the crown. With my tight schedule he would only have time to put on a temporary which would have to last the whole trip. Even though the tooth felt fine, there was also the risk that when opening up these old crowns I'd need a root canal as well.

I didn't have the time to deal with all that, the tooth felt fine so I decided to risk putting off the work until after the trip. After all the tooth felt fine and only needed to last another 12 weeks.

It lasted 6.

Somewhere in Belgium I started to notice the old familiar twinge.

Somewhere in Germany it became pretty obvious that I'd have to deal with it right away.

So holed up in a hotel in Augsburg I called around and found a dentist who'd see me on short notice. 2 minutes examination in the chair and she told I would need "nerve treatment" (aka root canal). Then jab, drill, ream, DONE - 10 minute root canal. 600 Euro out the door.

And everything was fine. The dentist was very professional (albeit somewhat more abrupt and less dependent on fancy equipment than her American colleagues). Two days later I was cycling along the Danube and the tooth remained pain free for the remaining 6 weeks of the trip.

Upon my return I went to my regular dentist for the decay removal and crown replacement. It was uneventful and (though a bit horrified by my story) he was impressed with the quality of the German dental work.

So everything worked out fine, but having to seek out dental work in a foreign country was a bit stressful for a few days. Henceforth I might be more inclined to listen to my dentist's advice if he recommends treatment prior to travel.

 

[harllee]

There is nothing worse than a terrible toothache when you are on vacation. I have a dentist I trust and if he tells me I need a crown I get it done ASAP--especially if I am leaving on a trip. Been there done that.

 

[FloridaJim57]

My crown last April cost $1,850.00