Dental Crowns – Chelsea, MI

Crucial Fixes for Dental Decay

Even if you always brush and floss, your teeth may suffer damage. Some could chip or crack from a physical injury, while others get cavities from harmful bacteria. Still, there’s a solution to these sorts of oral dilemmas: dental crowns in Chelsea! These tooth-colored caps protect and beautify your smile at the same time. That being the case, those from Healthy Smiles Dental Care deliver stellar results. If you’d like to learn more, just keep reading or book an appointment today.

What is a Dental Crown?

A close-up of a dental crown sitting on a finger

In essence, a dental crown is a cap that restores a damaged tooth. It strengthens and adorns the treated area by covering the latter with enamel-colored material. As such, dentists will use one to make your smile safer and prettier.

Given their features, dental crowns best suit patients with one (or more) of the following:

A greatly worn or broken tooth
Cavities that a filling can’t treat
Teeth that recently underwent root canal therapy
Misshapen or discolored teeth
A weak smile that needs support to avoid fracturing

All that said, the only way to confirm your treatment candidacy is to see our dentists. They’ll assess the affected tooth (or teeth) to see if crown treatment would help.

The Dental Crown Process

A 3D illustration of a dental crown being placed

Unlike other practices, we offer traditional dental crowns and CEREC® same-day ones. Your treatment process will differ depending on which type you get.

To receive traditional crowns, you must attend several dental visits over multiple weeks. The first is a consult where our dentists learn your treatment goals, oral health history, and more. If treatment is approved, this visit also prepares your teeth for the final crowns. You’ll receive the completed caps at a later appointment after a few weeks.

In contrast, CEREC® same-day crowns involve much less time. They allow patients to receive the finished product(s) in a one-hour visit. As such, they combine the consultation, prep work, and placement into a single appointment.

The Benefits of Getting a Dental Crown

Left untended, a damaged tooth will develop oral problems over time. Fortunately, a dental crown can prevent such issues and offer benefits like:

A Beautiful Smile: By relying on tooth-colored porcelain, our dental crowns blend seamlessly with adjacent teeth. That means they’ll fit right in with the rest of your smile!
Tooth Protection: A crown covers a tooth’s damaged area, protecting it from further harm. As a result, the cap prevents future infection and the need for a later root canal.
Versatility: Crowns can treat a wide range of tooth damage – decay, cavities, chips, and more.
Long-Lasting Results: Given proper care, a dental crown can last 15 years or more.

Understanding the Cost of Dental Crowns

Woman smiling with dental crowns in Chelsea

Restoring your smile with dental crowns is essential if you previously suffered from damaged or decayed teeth. At Healthy Smiles Dental Care, our team understands, though, that this process can cause many patients to worry about the required expense. This is why we’ve made it easy to learn more about the financial side of these custom restorations. To discover more about the cost of dental crowns in Chelsea, keep reading or give our office a call today.

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Factors That Affect the Cost of Dental Crowns

Custom-made dental crowns are crafted by skilled lab technicians who take their time to produce beautiful, natural-looking restorations. As only part of the process, you can expect that your dentist will consider the following factors before drafting a cost estimate:

Where your damaged or decayed tooth exists
How extensive is the problem area?
The porcelain that will be used to craft your new crown(s)
Whether you will need gum disease treatment or any other preliminary care before receiving your dental crown(s)
Whether the crown will be created in our office or by lab technicians offsite

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Crowns?

One component that assures many patients is the fact that most dental insurance companies do offer coverage for dental crowns. Deemed as a medical necessity for the betterment of a person’s oral health, your insurance may agree to cover anywhere from 50-80% of the total cost. Our team will be pleased to review your plan, determine if you’ve met your deductible, find out how much of your existing annual maximum exists, and file any claims so that you can stress less about your upcoming appointment.

Other Options for Making Dental Crowns Affordable

If you are without a private dental insurance plan, you have the option of enrolling in our Dental Savings Plan. This makes it easy for you to pay a yearly membership fee so that you can gain access to preventive care. You’ll also receive discounts on other available services while avoiding the restrictions that many dental insurance companies carry.

There is also the option of applying for flexible financing. By controlling the payment process and making manageable monthly installments, you can avoid paying for the entirety upfront so that you can focus more on your treatment and less on the financial aspects.

Dental Crowns FAQs

Can Dental Crowns Be Whitened?

Sadly, crowns can’t be whitened like natural teeth can. No matter what their materials are, their color should remain the same over time.

You see, the whitening process uses bleaching gel. The latter enters your enamel’s pores to remove stains. However, dental crowns don’t have their own pores. That means the gel can’t seep into them and brighten things.

All that said, you needn’t worry too much. Metal-free crowns are lifelike and match your other teeth very well. Plus, you could get teeth whitening before your crown is placed. That approach lets your dental cap blend with your grin’s new shade.

Does It Hurt to Get a Dental Crown?

When done by a qualified dentist, dental crown treatment doesn’t hurt. It should actually be a smooth and pain-free process. That way, your smile will get great care without any obstacles.

Crucially, our dentists numb the relevant tooth before they do crown work. (All it takes is a topical anesthetic!) So, your pearly white won’t feel discomfort during the preparation phase. You’ll only sense some slight pressure as our team proceeds.

Of course, you may feel a tad sore after the crown placement. Your newly crowned tooth will likely be sensitive for a few days. Still, this symptom is temporary and fades quickly. Better yet, you can manage the aches with store-bought pain medication.

How Do You Know When a Dental Crown Needs to Be Replaced?

Only a dentist will know with certainty if a crown needs replacement. (They can take dental X-rays and examine your mouth.) However, some warning signs do show a crown is near its end. These include the following:

Pain Near the Crowned Tooth – If a crowned tooth has decayed, it’ll likely ache. As such, a dentist must remove its crown to treat the underlying cavity. From there, they’ll see if the crown can be reseated or needs replacement.

Crown Instability– At times, a crown can become loose or unstable. You should contact your dentist if you feel such looseness.

A Worsened Appearance – When a crown gets chipped or stained, it looks worse than the rest of your smile. That alone is enough reason to replace it.

Do Dental Crowns Feel Natural?

Generally, yes – crowns feel similar to your natural teeth. Within a few days of getting one, the cap will be a comfortable part of your mouth.

For one thing, crowns are made from durable materials. They’re thus strong enough to withstand everyday chewing forces. Given that fact, eating with a crown shouldn’t feel strange.

Also, note that each crown is custom-made for the patient. A dentist will even reshape your tooth so the cap fits properly. That being the case, your crown is unlikely to feel awkward or noticeable.