Almost any tooth with a periodontally sound root (a tooth that is not loose) can be salvaged with a crown (cap). "False" teeth (removable bridges) are almost never the best solution. You should usually choose to have a crown made over extraction or removable bridges. In the long run, it is also the least expensive choice. Removable teeth or Partial Dentures have clasps or hooks which go around existing teeth and can weaken your remaining teeth. These hooks over time can loosen these support teeth. Caps are usually needed if a tooth has been broken or for cosmetic reason if the tooth has a large old filling. Recent research has shown that a filling that covers two -thirds of the tooth or more should be capped. Most people will wait until a tooth breaks before they have it capped. If the tooth breaks the wrong way, you could wind up loosing the tooth or wind up needing additional work including root canal, post, and gum surgery. Having a large filling in a tooth is like having a large filling in a shell of egg. The shell is weak and could break if you bite something too hard. Also, teeth get more brittle as you mature. The old trend was to wait before you replace a large filling with a crown. Wait for what? If the tooth breaks, you could wind up with a greater expense, or if it breaks the wrong way it may have to be removed. I have heard stories of dentists waiting until patients have retired to tell them they need caps. At that point, the patient replied, "When I was working I had income and insurance to afford a crown, but now, since I am retired I don't have income or insurance so why did you wait? There was not good reason to wait. The rule we use in determining if a tooth needs a cap is if the tooth is over 2/3 rd's filling. In this case a crown or cast filling is indicated. Some dentists wait too long to treat these teeth or the patient retires and then is confronted with the need to replace these large fillings. .Some people say caps are permanent. Nothing is forever. The average life expectancy for caps are 7 to 12 years. That's statistics. If you take care of your teeth and go to see your dentist for regular check-ups, they can last over 20 years. This is still longer than cars last, so don't say that a cap is too expensive. The fee for crowns vary according to the materials used. The range in our office is one hundred dollars to six hundred and fifty dollars. Most of us take health for granted The cost of medical and dental health must not be determined by cost alone. Health m

ust also be determined by value. In dentistry value means look good, feel good, and eat well. Can you put a price on good health? No, it's priceless. We use different materials in crowns. There are crowns made of all gold, gold and plastic, all porcelain, acrylic, porcelain to metal, porcelain to semiprecious metal and porcelain to gold. Depending on the type of crown, the price can vary. Not all crowns are alike. Some dental offices that offer cut-rate dentistry use crowns that cost half as much to make. The quality of these crowns are not as good as crowns costing more. When your dentist gives you a price for a crown, he will usually factor in his laboratory cost for making a crown. Most dentists charge what we call a "Usual and Customary" rate (U.C.R.) for a crown. This is what the majority of dentists charge for the same crown in that area. If you have accidentally broke a tooth or teeth your medical insurance will usually pay for it. Insurance companies and employers looking to save money are reducing your dental benefits. If you need crowns, take advantage of your benefits now. Remember, dental benefits can not be carried over to the following year. A series of caps together is call a fixed bridge.

Sometime you will hear a person say, "I just had all my teeth capped." The feeling you get is that this was done for the sake of appearance. It is possible that he did. However, in today's world of modern dentistry, it would be more probable that he did not. Today, there are alternatives to crowns. These alternatives include Bonding, Porcelain Laminates Veneers and Onlays, all of which are less expensive than crowns.

Before you have a tooth capped you should get a second opinion and ask your dentist if you are a good candidate for Bonding or Porcelain Laminates or onlays. By the way, teeth that are capped don't usually need Root Canals. Dentistry is benefiting from new research and materials. If you haven't been to a modern dental facility, you should go to one.

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