Dental Crowns in Houston: Types and Cost
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A crown is a cap that covers the whole tooth and takes the chewing load off what is left of it. The material matters more than most patients are told: a zirconia crown on a molar and an all ceramic crown on a front tooth are different products solving different problems. Here is how we choose between them at our Midtown Houston office.
Seen in Midtown Houston, Saturday hours: Book an appointment · (713) 322-7474 · Cosmetic Dentistry in Houston
When a Tooth Actually Needs a Crown
A filling replaces missing tooth structure. A crown protects the structure that is still there. The line between them is how much sound tooth is left holding the sides together.
You need a crown when:
• The tooth has had a root canal. A treated back tooth without a crown fractures at a much higher rate, and the fracture is usually below the gum, which means the tooth comes out.
• A cusp has broken off, or a crack runs down the side of a molar.
• More than half the biting surface is old filling material. At some point the filling is holding the tooth rather than the other way around.
• A large amalgam has been in place for decades and the tooth is starting to flex when you bite.
You do not need a crown for a small cavity, for staining, or for one slightly crooked front tooth. A veneer or composite bonding does the cosmetic work with far less drilling. If a dentist proposes crowning eight healthy front teeth for appearance, get a second opinion, and we are happy to be it.
The Types of Crown, and What Each One Is For
Five materials cover almost every case.
• Zirconia. The workhorse for back teeth. Extremely strong, will not chip the way layered porcelain can, and can be milled thin, so less tooth has to be removed. Modern layered zirconia looks good enough for premolars. It is what we use for most molars and for patients who grind.
• All ceramic, usually lithium disilicate. The best looking option, because light passes through it the way it passes through enamel. This is the front tooth crown. Strong enough for incisors and premolars, not the first choice for a heavy grinder's molar.
• Porcelain fused to metal. A metal shell with porcelain baked over it. Durable and long proven, but the metal collar can show as a gray line at the gum as tissue recedes, and the porcelain layer can chip. Still reasonable on a back tooth that will never show.
• Gold or other full metal. Nothing outlasts it and nothing is kinder to the opposing tooth. It requires the least tooth reduction of any crown. It is gold colored, which decides the question for most patients under 60 on a visible tooth.
• Acrylic or composite temporaries. These are the crowns you wear for two weeks while the laboratory makes the real one. They are not meant to last and they are not a budget option.
How We Pick the Material for Your Tooth
Four things decide it, and price is the last of them.
Where the tooth sits. Anything visible when you smile goes ceramic or zirconia. Second molars can be whatever is strongest.
How hard you bite. Heavy grinders break ceramic. If your enamel is already worn flat, we will steer you to full contour zirconia and talk about a night guard at the same visit.
Where your gumline is. A high smile line that shows gum tissue rules out porcelain fused to metal on a front tooth, because the day the tissue recedes even a millimeter, the gray shows.
How much tooth is left. A tooth that has lost most of its structure may need a post and core built inside it first, or crown lengthening to expose enough tooth to grip. We tell you at the exam if that is your situation, not after you are numb.
What a Crown Costs in Houston
Ask three offices what a crown costs and you will get three numbers, which is why the average cost of a dental crown in Houston is a poor basis for a decision. What matters is what the quote covers and what your tooth needs around it.
At Omega the crown is quoted per tooth and put in writing before any drilling, and the material we recommend is a clinical decision about your tooth rather than a way to move the price. What changes the total is groundwork the tooth may need before a crown can go on: a core build up, for when too little tooth is left for the crown to grip, or a post and core after a root canal. Plenty of teeth need neither, and you will be told which applies to yours before you commit.
The fees around it are set too:
• The new patient exam with cleaning is a low flat fee. That is the appointment where you find out whether you need a crown at all.
• A root canal is priced by the tooth, with front teeth costing less than molars.
• Crown lengthening, when the tooth needs more exposed, is a set fee per site.
• Re-cementing a crown that came off, or repairing a temporary, is a small flat fee.
• If the tooth is not salvageable, extraction is a set fee and a single implant with its crown is quoted as a complete package.
We verify your benefits with your insurer before treatment and give you your share in writing. Coverage for crowns varies by policy and by how long you have held it, so we check rather than guess. Cherry, Affirm and Sunbit cover the balance in monthly payments. For today's exact fees, call (713) 322-7474 or see our dental crowns page.
The Crown That Follows a Root Canal
If you have had a root canal on a back tooth, the crown is not the optional finish. It is the part that keeps the tooth.
A treated tooth is hollowed out and no longer has a blood supply, which makes it more brittle and easier to split. Skipping the crown is the most common way patients lose a tooth they already paid to save. The tooth feels fine for a year or two, then cracks under a piece of bread, and the crack runs under the gum where nothing can be done.
We place the crown within a few weeks of the root canal. If money is the reason for the delay, tell us, because financing the crown costs far less than replacing the tooth with an implant later.
What the Two Appointments Involve
First visit, about an hour. We numb the tooth, remove decay and any failing filling, and shape what remains so the crown has an even thickness of material all around. If there is not enough tooth left, a build up goes in first. Then we scan or take an impression, choose the shade against your neighboring teeth, and fit a temporary crown you wear home.
The laboratory takes about two weeks. Expect the temporary to feel slightly different in shape, and be careful with anything sticky, because it is cemented lightly on purpose.
Second visit, about an hour. The temporary comes off, the permanent crown is tried in and checked for fit, contact with the neighboring teeth, and shade. Then it is cemented and your bite is adjusted with articulating paper until it closes evenly. If it feels high when you leave, call us. A crown that sits even slightly proud makes the tooth ache and is a five minute fix.
Living With a Crown and What Can Go Wrong
A crown does not get cavities, but the tooth under it does, right at the margin where crown meets tooth. That is why crowned teeth still need flossing and two cleanings a year. Most crowns that fail do so because decay got in underneath, not because the crown broke.
What to expect and what to call about:
• Mild sensitivity to cold for a week or two is normal. Sharp pain on biting, or pain that wakes you up, is not. Call us.
• A high bite feels like a bruise in the tooth. It is adjusted in minutes.
• A crown that comes off should be kept and brought in. Do not glue it back yourself. Denture adhesive and household glue both make it harder to re-cement properly.
• Grinding cracks ceramic. If you grind, a night guard protects the crown and everything next to it.
With reasonable care, expect 10 to 15 years, and often considerably longer on gold or zirconia.
Getting a Crown at Omega Dental Specialists
We are at 106 W Gray St in Midtown, close to Montrose, River Oaks, Downtown and the Museum District, with Saturday appointments.
The advantage of a multispecialty office on a crown case is that the tooth does not get passed around. If it needs a root canal first, our endodontists do it here. If the gum has to be reshaped, our periodontist Dr. Shirin Farhadian handles it here. If the tooth cannot be saved, our oral surgeons take it out and plan the implant in the same building. That usually turns a six week runaround into two or three visits.
Broken tooth today? We keep same day emergency slots. Call (713) 322-7474 or book online.
Frequently asked
What is the best type of dental crown?
There is no single best crown, there is a best crown for the tooth. Zirconia is the strongest and is what we use on most molars and for patients who grind. All ceramic crowns look the most natural and are the choice for front teeth. Gold outlasts everything and is kindest to the opposing tooth but is visibly gold. Porcelain fused to metal is durable but can show a gray line at the gum over time.
How much does a dental crown cost in Houston?
The average cost of a dental crown in Houston varies by office and by what the quote includes, which is why we quote your crown per tooth at Omega Dental Specialists and put the figure in writing before treatment. What moves the total is groundwork: a core build up, or a post and core after a root canal, and plenty of teeth need neither. We verify your insurance benefits and give you your share in writing before treatment; call (713) 322-7474 for today's exact fee.
Do I really need a crown after a root canal?
On a back tooth, yes. A root canal treated molar has no blood supply and is hollowed out, which makes it far more likely to split under normal chewing. The fracture usually runs below the gumline, and at that point the tooth cannot be saved. Skipping the crown is the most common way patients lose a tooth they already paid to treat. Front teeth are sometimes an exception and we will tell you if yours is.
How long does a dental crown last?
Ten to fifteen years is a fair expectation, and gold and zirconia crowns routinely go longer. What ends them early is decay at the margin where the crown meets the tooth, which is why a crowned tooth still needs daily flossing and two cleanings a year, and grinding, which cracks ceramic. A night guard is worth more to a crown than any brand of toothpaste.
How many visits does a crown take?
Two. The first appointment takes about an hour to prepare the tooth, take the scan or impression, match the shade and fit a temporary crown you wear home. The laboratory needs roughly two weeks. The second appointment takes about an hour to try in the permanent crown, cement it and adjust your bite so it closes evenly.
What should I do if my crown falls off?
Keep the crown, put it somewhere safe and call us at (713) 322-7474. Do not try to glue it back with household or denture adhesive, because that contaminates the fitting surface and can make proper re-cementing impossible. Avoid chewing on that side and keep the exposed tooth clean. Re-cementing a crown is a short appointment with a small flat fee.
Is a crown or a veneer better for a front tooth?
It depends on how much tooth is left. A veneer covers only the front surface and removes about half a millimeter of enamel, so it suits a tooth that is structurally sound but discolored, chipped or misshapen. A crown covers the whole tooth and is what a heavily filled, cracked or root canal treated tooth needs. Both are priced per tooth here, and we will tell you which one your tooth actually needs.