SMILE SOLUTIONS
How Much Does a Crown Cost?
How Much Does a Crown Cost?
“How much does a crown cost?” is the single most common question we get on the phone. For years, we have simply said “It depends”. And that answer rarely satisfied the caller.
But how can any office receptionist explain more than 20 types of fees? Impossible!!! So, the conversation always ended with an invitation for a personalized patient consultation. The caller would sometimes schedule a consultation, and sometimes would simply hang up the phone only to call the next dental office on the list.
Seeing how much interest there is, I decided that I would take my chances and attempt to give an answer to this complex question. I began by separating various areas of the mouth, possibility of insurance billing and the fabrication and delivery method (in-house vs. outside dental lab), as well as the specific properties of the crown. So, how much does a dental crown cost? A dental crown costs between $700 and $1,700.
Why is there such a range in fees for dental crowns?
There is a wide range in the fees for dental crowns. The cheapest crown is $700 and the most expensive is $1,700. That seems to be an extreme variation. It only appears to be so on the surface.
Market Demands
A dental office which serves a patient population with a wide range of likes and dislikes will have to offer various levels of service. Offering only one level of service would leave out all other patient groups. As such, our office is accessible to patients on a limited budget, with or without credit, have or used to have dental insurance coverage, desire the highest possible level of esthetics (what we would call a Hollywood smile) or simply a good tooth restoration that will last a long time.
Cost of Fabrication
Dental Crowns fabrication costs range from $100 to $600 depending on the level of detail and craftmanship that goes into its fabrication. In-Office Made Crowns will typically cost less than a crown made by a third party such as a dental laboratory. Moreover, crowns made to be as esthetic as possible will require additional layers or porcelain, staining, glazing and additional skill, time and attention to detail. All of these translate into dollars raising the fabrication costs of a dental crown.
Back tooth Crowns require less esthetics and more strength and typically require less time and effort. They are listed in the first table. Front Tooth Crowns are made to a much higher level of esthetics. They can be strong, but they must be beautiful. That requires more skill, time, effort, materials. They are in the second table. To be clear, a back tooth is any tooth behind the canine (eye tooth), and are called premolars and molars. Canines and front teeth would be considered in the highly esthetic zone and the fees are presented in the second table.
Insurance Billing Overhead
A dental office overhead is reflected in the price of a crown. Therefore, a dental office where insurance billing takes place will have additional employees and processes to run the insurance billing operations. Believe it or not, processing dental insurance is a considerable burden on the overhead expenses of a dental office. As such, our office offers a fee reduction to patients who do not require dental insurance billing and processing.
Potential additional costs to watch out for when pricing a crown
Anyone searching the internet for information on how much a crown costs should be aware of any other potential costs associated with the dental procedures frequently associated with getting teeth repaired. Some of these possible additional procedures are:
- various tooth nerve treatments (root canal, pulp capping, etc)
- gum tissue trimming called “Gingivectomy”
- bone tissue trimming called “Crown Lengthening”
- post and core fabrication
- tooth reconstruction prior to crown fabrication
- dark teeth needing to be masked prior to crown fabrication
Breaking down the cost of a dental crown
To find out how much any type of dental crown costs, check it the various dental crown fees listed in the table below. I recommend you start with the following questions:
- Do you have dental insurance coverage?
- Do you need a crown on a back or front tooth?
- Which type of crown do you want? Fabricated and Delivered the same day, next day, or 3 weeks later?
As you answered the 3 questions, you reduced a complex picture of 20 fees in 2 tables down to 1 table with 10 fees, then to a single row of 5 fees. And then you likely experienced some brain fog as you had difficulty in picking the main driving factor in deciding the last set of factors, right? You are not alone. Most patients are not sure how to go about choosing what they really want. And that’s probably why most dental offices don’t give prices over the phone; it really does take a conversation with a knowledgeable doctor to determine the best crown selection for each situation!
Hoping I have satisfied your curiosity and actually answered your question about how much does a crown cost, I invite you to come in and discuss your needs and wants! You have nothing to lose, seriously! Schedule your consultation through our website or by phone today! I look forward to seeing you soon!