Dental crowns in Cobham
Dental crowns to restore and protect damaged teeth.
A crown is a custom-made restoration that covers a tooth to hold it together and protect what remains of it. Crowns are usually recommended where a tooth has been heavily filled, has fractured, or has had root canal treatment and needs protecting. Placing a crown involves shaping the tooth, so it is not a reversible step — we will always explain why a crown is being recommended and what the alternatives are.
From £990
Suitability
Who this may suit
- Enough sound tooth structure remaining, below and around the planned crown margin, for a crown to be retained reliably.
- Healthy gums and no untreated decay; gum and dental health is assessed and stabilised first.
- No untreated infection in the nerve or root — if there is, root canal treatment is discussed before a crown is made.
- Grinding or clenching identified so the material can be chosen appropriately, often with a night guard afterwards.
Why a crown may be recommended
A heavily restored tooth
When a tooth has lost a lot of its own structure to decay or repeated fillings, the remaining walls can flex and split. A crown wraps around the tooth and spreads the biting forces, which reduces that risk.
A cracked or fractured tooth
Where a cusp has broken away or a crack has been identified, a crown can hold the tooth together. Whether it can be saved depends on how deep the fracture runs, which is assessed clinically and with x-rays.
After root canal treatment
A root-filled back tooth is usually more brittle and is often restored with a crown to protect it against fracture once the infection has been treated.
Fees
Starting price
£990
Crown
Prices listed are the minimum charge for this treatment. Your own costs are confirmed in a written estimate after your assessment.
See our full fee list →Risks & considerations
Risks and important considerations
- Irreversible removal of tooth structure during preparation.
- Sensitivity after preparation or after fitting, which usually settles but can persist.
- Nerve inflammation, occasionally leading to a need for root canal treatment after the crown is placed.
- Chipping, fracture or wear of the crown, especially with grinding or biting hard objects.
- A temporary crown coming loose between appointments; we would see you to re-fit it.
- Decay or gum inflammation developing at the crown margin if the area is not cleaned thoroughly.
- A crown becoming loose or needing replacing in due course, sometimes requiring further preparation.
- In some cases the tooth cannot be saved and extraction with a replacement option becomes the better plan.
Frequently asked questions
There is no fixed figure. How long a crown lasts depends on how much sound tooth it is built on, your bite, whether you grind, and how well you clean around the margin. We monitor crowns at every routine examination so problems are picked up early.
Usually two: one to prepare the tooth, take a scan or impression and fit a temporary crown, and a second to fit the definitive crown once the laboratory has made it.
The preparation is done under local anaesthetic so it should not be painful. The tooth can be sensitive for a while afterwards, and we will tell you what to expect and when to contact us.
A root-treated tooth, particularly a back tooth, has usually lost a lot of structure and is more likely to fracture. A crown holds it together and protects it. Whether it is needed is judged tooth by tooth.
Treatment stages
- 1
Assessment and diagnosis
We examine the tooth, check the bite and the gums, and take x-rays where needed to see the extent of any decay, cracks or previous root treatment.
- 2
Discussing the options and a written estimate
We explain why a crown is being suggested, what the alternatives are for your tooth, which materials are appropriate, and give you a written estimate before treatment starts.
- 3
Preparation appointment
Under local anaesthetic, any decay or failing filling is removed, the tooth is built up where needed and then shaped so the crown fits over it.
Paying for treatment
Finance options available
Practi
Finance options are available at Cobham Dental through Practi. Your dentist prepares a treatment guide, you choose to pay using finance and complete a short application. Our team will confirm the available terms, any interest payable and the monthly amount before you decide — finance is subject to status and to the provider's terms.
Finance options are available, subject to status. Ask our team for the current terms and a representative example before you commit.
Your options
Treatment choices we may discuss
All-ceramic crowns
Made entirely from tooth-coloured ceramic, these are usually chosen where appearance matters most, such as front teeth and visible premolars. The material and thickness required are decided case by case.
Zirconia and high-strength ceramic crowns
Stronger ceramics are often used on back teeth, where biting forces are highest, or for patients who grind. They are tooth-coloured but slightly less translucent than the most aesthetic ceramics.
Porcelain-bonded-to-metal crowns
A metal substructure with porcelain over the top. Robust and long established; over many years a thin margin can occasionally become visible at the gum line.
Gold and metal crowns
Very kind to the opposing teeth and requiring less tooth removal in some situations, so they are still a sensible choice for some back teeth where appearance is less of a concern.
Temporary crowns
Where the crown is made by a laboratory, a temporary crown is fitted in the meantime so you can eat and function normally. Temporaries are deliberately less firmly cemented and need a little care — details are in the maintenance section below.
Important limitations
What this treatment cannot do
- Preparing a tooth for a crown removes tooth structure permanently. Once prepared, the tooth will always need a crown or similar restoration.
- A crown does not make a tooth immune to decay. Decay can still start at the margin where crown meets tooth.
- Crowns do not last forever. Their lifespan depends on the tooth, your bite, your habits and how well the area is cleaned.
- Ceramic can chip or fracture, particularly with heavy grinding or biting hard objects.
- A crowned tooth can still develop nerve problems and occasionally needs root canal treatment afterwards.
- Shade matching a single crown next to natural teeth is done carefully but cannot be guaranteed to be invisible.
Alternatives
Other options we may discuss
A large filling or onlay
Where enough sound tooth remains, a bonded composite restoration or a laboratory-made onlay can restore the tooth while removing less tooth structure than a full crown.
Root canal treatment first
If the nerve is infected, treating that comes first; the tooth is then restored, often with a crown.
Monitoring
A tooth that is not symptomatic and not deteriorating can sometimes be monitored, with the risks of leaving it explained.
Extraction and replacement
Where a tooth cannot be restored predictably, removal followed by an implant, a bridge or a denture may be more sensible than crowning it.
Technology
What we use at the practice
iTero digital scanning
A digital scanner used instead of conventional impressions for aligner and restorative planning, with an on-screen simulation of the planned result.
Digital x-rays
Digital radiographs taken in the surgery and displayed on screen so your clinician can talk you through the findings.
Frequently asked questions
Keep the temporary if you can and contact the practice so we can re-fit it. Avoid chewing on that side, avoid sticky foods such as toffee and chewing gum, and clean gently around it — floss out sideways rather than snapping it upwards.
A definitive crown can occasionally become loose, usually because of decay underneath or a cement failure. Do not try to re-cement it yourself — contact us so the tooth underneath can be assessed.
We record shade with photographs and, where needed, arrange a shade check with the laboratory. Matching a single crown to natural teeth is done carefully, though a perfect optical match cannot be guaranteed.
No. Whitening only changes natural tooth structure, so crowns, veneers and fillings do not lighten. If you are considering whitening, it is best done before the crown shade is chosen.
No. A veneer is a facing bonded to the front of a tooth for appearance; a crown covers the whole tooth to protect and rebuild it. Which is appropriate depends on how much tooth structure has been lost.
Brush twice daily, clean between the teeth every day including around the crown margin, keep up your routine examinations and hygiene appointments, avoid biting hard objects, and wear a night guard if grinding has been identified.
Concerns this may help with
What patients come to us about
Related treatments
You may also want to read
- Dental bridgesFixed replacement of missing teeth supported by your own teeth, compared honestly with implants.
- Root canal treatmentTreating infection inside a tooth with the aim of keeping your natural tooth.
- ImplantsReplacing missing teeth with fixed, natural-looking restorations.
- Composite bondingRepairing chips, closing small gaps and reshaping teeth.
- Dental examinationThorough check-ups including x-rays and screening.
Been told you need a crown?
Book directly into our diaries online, or ask us a question first — we're happy to help.