Crown Procedure

Vudgie

If anyone can provide me with some info it would be greatly appreciated.

I had a RCT done last week and the teeth on my left side are just starting to feel normal again. The specialist that did the root canal was a bit vague on getting a crown (in terms of timing etc) as I have to go back to my regular dentist for this procedure.

Is there a minimum time that I should wait before getting the crown done or is it just based on availability and cost. I would like to get it done in March or April (finances permitting) but I am also afraid of breaking the tooth in the mean time.

Can someone tell me the rough price for a crown on the LL6 (I think that was the tooth).

Do dentists generally negotiate on their prices or do you just have to either take or leave it?

Does a crown after a root canal require 2 - 3 dentists visits?

Phew....thanks for reading!!!

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Ah a topic close to my heart.

Firstly I would not hang around with the temporary filling for long after the root canal. Once the endodontist says its OK to get it restored go to the dentist and get a big filling in the tooth ( called a core buildup) this will seal the tooth well and prevent you lovely new root canal from getting reinfected.

Then once you can get the crown do it. I usually like to do them as soon as the endodontist says its ok to go ahead because as you say yourself there is a risk of fracture with a root canal treated tooth and sometimes can make them unrestorable.

The crown procedure goes basically like this with a few tweaks.
1. Anesthetic in the area.
2. A template of the tooth it take to make a temporary crowns at the end.
3. The tooth and core is prepared. This is where 1-2mm of the tooth is removed all around (depending on they type of crown you are getting) with a dental drill.
4. An impression is made of the prepared tooth and of the opposing teeth along with a bite registration and a shade for colour. (the impression is sometimes delayed till another day depending)
5. A temporary plastic crown is made from acrylic or composite material and cemented with a week provisional cement. You go home and wait for 2-6 weeks for the crown to be made.
6. At the second ( or third if the impression was delayed) the temporary is removed and the tooth cleaned. The crowns is fitted and checked for accuracy of fit at the joins to the tooth and the bite checked. You check you like the look of it.
7. If you approve the crown is is cemented with a strong durable permanent cement. Job done.

Making a crowns involved about 50 steps and is highly skilled for a nice job.

Crowns cost between 600-1600 euro depending on the quality, aesthetics and the dentist thats does it. Really cheap crowns are a load of rubbish and are usually sent to china or some low cost region and made from inferior materials without proper communication or care. They look like rubbish and fit like rubbish. After getting a specialist to do a lovely root canal get a nice well fitting crown, the tooth will likely last between 10-25 years. Below is a badly fitting crown....avoid this at all costs.

Vudgie

Many thanks for your excellent information, thats a great help!

Vudgie

P.S I will post up a review of the procedure when I get it done, in terms of timing, price, procedure, etc when I have the job finished.

Some people may find it useful if they have to get it done in the future.

C.O.Y.B.I.B

I'm in the same position as you. Got my RC on 10th Jan and am getting the permanent filling today. Will also be getting a definite quote for the crown , which the dentist said would be in the region of 1200 . However I got 2 quotes (over the phone) from dentists in the Newry area of £400stg and £450stg as being the max they charge for Crowns . Said i'd need a first appointment of about 1hr and a second to fit the crown of 20 mins.

Vudgie

mscull wrote: »

I'm in the same position as you. Got my RC on 10th Jan and am getting the permanent filling today. Will also be getting a definite quote for the crown , which the dentist said would be in the region of 1200 . However I got 2 quotes (over the phone) from dentists in the Newry area of £400stg and £450stg as being the max they charge for Crowns . Said i'd need a first appointment of about 1hr and a second to fit the crown of 20 mins.

God I really didn't anticipate it costing me that much...looks like I will be waiting until April given that sort of quote.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

mscull wrote: »

I'm in the same position as you. Got my RC on 10th Jan and am getting the permanent filling today. Will also be getting a definite quote for the crown , which the dentist said would be in the region of 1200 . However I got 2 quotes (over the phone) from dentists in the Newry area of £400stg and £450stg as being the max they charge for Crowns . Said i'd need a first appointment of about 1hr and a second to fit the crown of 20 mins.

As in my previous post I would not consider these budget crowns to usually be of the excellent fit and quality I would want for my patients. A lot of these cheap crowns are made in NHS laboratories, for instance I have laboratories that charge me more for a crown than these dentists wants to charge you. You will get them in the ROI for a lot less than 1200 euro (was this a specialist by any chance if so its not comparing like with like) its about time and attention to detail and the kind of result and longevity you want.

C.O.Y.B.I.B

Sounds like good advice and something to bear in mind. However in the current climate it is still difficult not to take the cheap option. Anyway , my crown is on hold (for a few months) due to a dodgy tooth growing out of the side of my gum which is causing other teeth to decay (inc. the tooth to be crowned) due to trapped food etc... Originally thought it could be saved but now it looks unlikely.
So now its off to a $pecialist to get it surgically removed as my own dentist said it would be too risky for her to attempt to remove it .