Question: What is the difference between porcelain fused to metal and all metal crowns?

All Metal Crowns: Metal crowns have the advantage of being strong since they are made from stainless steel or various metal alloys. However, they can’t be matched to the color of your teeth. Metal crowns are generally not used as often as they once were due to the way they look. 

Porcelain Fused to Metal Crowns: A common alternative to all-metal crowns is crowns made by fusing porcelain to metal. With porcelain fused to metal crowns, they have the advantage of having the strength of metal, but with the porcelain overlay, it can be color-matched to your teeth. Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are a good choice for someone who wants a color-matched crown but still can withstand significant biting or chewing force.  

Question: Does dental insurance cover crowns? I may need a crown, but I do not have dental insurance. Will dental insurance cover the cost of having a crown?

Reply: Most dental insurance plans offer benefits for crowns. When reviewing a dental insurance plan, however, you want to ensure that the plan you are reviewing does not have waiting periods for major services such as crowns. Typically PPO and Indemnity insurance plans will have waiting periods of up to a year or more for major dental services (note crowns will fall under major services under most dental insurance plans). Not all of these types of insurance plans have waiting periods. Some do not, so you want to read the plan terms and conditions carefully.

HMO insurance plans typically do not have waiting periods, but it is essential to read the terms of the plan carefully, as even with some HMOs, there can be waiting periods for services such as crowns. We offer both types of insurance plans and can help you with what will best fit your dental care needs. Just call our member services at 310-534-3444 M-F 8 am-4 pm. We are happy to assist you.

These types of crowns provide better natural color match than any other crown type and may be more suitable for people with metal allergies. However, they are not as strong as porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns and they wear down opposing teeth a little more than metal or resin crowns. All-ceramic crowns may be a good choice for front teeth.

Porcelain-fused-to-metal dental crowns can be color matched to your adjacent teeth. However, more wearing to the opposing teeth occurs with this crown type compared with metal or resin crowns. The crown’s porcelain portion can also chip or break off. Next to all-ceramic crowns, porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns look most like normal teeth. However, sometimes the metal underlying the crown’s porcelain can show through as a dark line, especially at the gum line and even more so if your gums recede. These crowns can be a good choice for front or back teeth. Another simalar options is an all-resin dental crown as they are less expensive than other crown types. However, they wear down over time and are more prone to fractures than porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.

Metal Crowns: Metal used in crowns include gold alloy, other alloys or a base-metal alloy such as nickel or chromium. Compared with other crown types, less tooth structure needs to be removed with metal crowns, and tooth wear to opposing teeth is kept to a minimum. Metal crowns withstand biting and chewing forces well and probably last the longest in terms of wear down. Also, metal crowns rarely chip or break. The metallic color is the main drawback. Metal crowns may be a good choice for out-of-sight molars.

I do not have dental insurance and I live out here in OK.  I need two dental crowns for my teeth.  I was also told that I should have a small cavity filled before it becomes a bigger issue.  I just do not have the money needed.  My dentist quoted me 2875.00 for two crowns and fillings. Where can I go to get the dental work need for half that cost.  Because that is about all the extra money I have right now to spend on my teeth care.   Please advise or give suggestions.

Reply: You may want to review either any dental discount plan options or HMO insurance plan options that are available to you in your State.  Both of this options are lower cost plans, but more importantly they do not have waiting periods for the dental care services you current need.  Now whether or not they are half the cost that you are getting quoted for on not I can not say you would need to review each plan and see which you feel best fits your needs.  But both plan types to help to reduce your dental care cost compared to not having anything.

New York Dental Insurance Benefits, My crown came off then I broke my tooth.  About four year ago I had a root canal done in a back molar bottom left side of my mouth.   Two months our the crown the dentist put on the tooth came off.  I meant to go to the dentist to have it put back on but do to time and money issue I did not go.

I figured I would go when I had the extra money to see the dentist and I would just be careful.  And even though I was trying to be careful I think I many have cracked that tooth while I was eating.  My tooth does not hurt but now I am really worried about having to have the tooth pulled or something.  I have no dental insurance and the plans I seen will make me have a waiting period.    Not sure what to do at this point.  Do you have any plans that can help me now?

Maryland dental care, need a dental plan to get a few crowns.  I would like to have a few of my older crowns removed and placed with new ones.  I have really old silver crowns and would like to have teeth color crowns.  I do not have any dental insurance that would cover me for something like that and I was told by a friend that I should take a look into getting a dental discount plan for the new crowns I want to get.  Can you advise your best plan that would save me the most money on crowns in Maryland?

I am starting the New Year off with a bang..  I just broke one of my back teeth and was told by a dentist that in order to save the tooth I will need to have a root canal and a crown put on the tooth.  This is costing me $1550.00.  But that is the cost without having any dental insurance.  The dental office told me it would cost much less if I got dental insurance first.   Can you suggest a plan for me I live in California.

About three years ago I had a root canal done.   At the time the dentist put a temporary crown on.  I was to go back to get a real crown but I never did because it took all the money I had to have the root canal work done.

I still have the silver temporary crown on and I wanted to know if it too late to get dental insurance so that I can have a real crown put on?  The tooth does not hurt and the temporary seem still fine but it is silver so it would be nice to have a white crown that looks like  tooth.

I know I need to have two crown down.  I may also need a root canal but the dentist is not 100 percent sure until he pulls off the old crown first.   I do not have dental insurance right now and wonder would there be any benefits to me getting it before having this dental work started?  My dentist told me that it may be too late since many plans have waiting periods for the type of dental work I need.

So I have yellow teeth with very week tooth  enamel.  This makes it very easy for my teeth to get cavities.  Because I get cavities my teeth chip easy too.  I think I am tired of all this hassle and want to just crown all  of my teeth.   So my question is how much would something like that cost and would dental insurance cover for you to have all your teeth crowned?

I am twenty six and have four silver crowns.    I got all those crowns when I was in my teens. At the time that was all my parents could afford to get.  I do not like them but understand that as a kid I should have taken better care of my teeth.

Now that I have been out on my own and working a good full time job I would like to get those silver crowns replaced with teeth colored crowns.

I am looking for dental insurance that will offer me some good benefits on the cost of new crowns.  I am not to worried about the cost of the insurance as long as it going to save me money on the crowns.   I have already been quoted $3200.00 for the total cost without dental insurance.