When to use a crown?
The only person who can tell you whether you need a crown is the dentist or the specialist. Normally, though, you need one when:

1. Your teeth are showing signs of excessive decay. Take note that the operative term is “showing.” It means the tooth is still in the process of being deteriorated; it’s not completely damaged yet. Otherwise, the tooth may have to be removed.

2. There’s not enough tooth remaining. Sometimes the natural teeth undergo chipping. Perhaps you’ve bitten something that damaged the enamel. Rather than removing the entire teeth, you make use of a crown to fill in the gap.

3. The added tooth is lacking. This usually happens when the dental work is inferior. It’s possible that the implant isn’t the same size or even shape of the natural teeth, so it becomes obvious. Instead of undoing the implant, the crown may simply be added to get rid of the gap.

4. You need to have a bridge. There are many kinds of bridges, but the most common is the traditional. In this case, the tooth should have abutments, which are the adjacent teeth. But what if there’s no adjacent tooth? You can then add a crown in the bridge.

5. Your teeth need a makeover. Perhaps you don’t have any serious dental problem, but you just like your tooth to look much better or more even. You can opt for a crown instead.

Overall, crowns can:

• Improve a bite
• Enhance the look of the teeth
• Get rid of the gap
• Help save cost on dental treatment
• Avoid other dental issues

What Are Your Options?
There are three popular kinds of dental crowns that Sam Dental offers:

PFM
This is also the standard porcelain crown. It’s a great choice when you want your teeth to look even more attractive. Made from porcelain, the crown is attached to a cap, also known as a shell, that is made from metal. The kind of PFM to use depends on where it’s going to be placed. If it’s in the front, it’s very important that the margins are not visible, which normally happens when they create a black line around the gum area. So what we’re going to utilize is the collarless margin. If the problem is the rear teeth, they may need the metal margin, which is thin. It should be convenient to attach from the gum edge.

Zirconium
This could be perhaps the best material to use for a dental crown. In fact, a dental bridge that is of zirconium is also very valuable. Its main asset is its strength as it’s a lot stronger than steel. It also seals very well, so it’s the closest thing that you can ever have to a real, natural tooth. Creating a zirconium-based crown, however, takes a lot of time. One of the prerequisites is to make sure that the measurements of the impressions are EXACT. There’s very little room for mistake in here. That’s why we at Sam Dental work at only the best labs in Tijuana. These are places with high-tech equipment and software that can help us create a zirconium crown with a 3D design, which shall be the basis for the final output. Now is zirconium expensive? Generally, it is, but we’re able to reduce the price significantly by buying the porcelain by blocks.

E.max Crowns
This is a cross between the PFM and the zirconium porcelains. E.max crowns are better than PFMs, but they are not as durable as the zirconium. You may want to get them for their luminescence, which means they possess almost the same sheen as real teeth. They may even be mistaken for veneers, only that these crowns envelope the whole tooth. They are attached to the front teeth, not to the back molars.

How soon do you need to replace them?
Here’s the fantastic thing about crowns: they usually last for many years, up to 15 to 20 years. HOWEVER, the exact life span of the bridges and the crowns solely depend on you. A lot of factors can come into play, affecting their overall longevity. One of the major causes why they get damaged and you may have to repeat the entire process is when you don’t improve your oral hygiene. Crowns and bridges highly depend on the gums and the closest natural teeth. If these are damaged perhaps due to disease, or poor oral hygiene, you cannot expect the crowns to last very long. You have to take care of your gums and teeth properly. Thus, we highly advise our clients to see us or their U.S. dentist at least once or twice a year for consultation. That may sound cumbersome, but it’s a lot cheaper and more effective than going through a dental treatment or procedure.

How much will it cost you?
Sam Dental is definitely cheaper than U.S. clinics. For example, it’s normal among patients to be charged up to $1400 for every tooth crown made of zirconium. For standard crowns, in the US they will charge more than $900 a tooth. At our clinic, our zirconium crowns and bridges are less than $475 a tooth unit, and PFM crowns cost under $295. Everything, however, depends on the diagnosis and suggestions of the dentist or specialist. In your first visit, you will be provided with the evaluations. You will also know how much it’s really going to cost you. Around this time, we will also make sure that the rest of your teeth and gums are properly taken care of. On your next return, we will then attach the crowns and bridges. Rest assured that with us, you can expect high-quality work at a very affordable price.