An implant crown is a dental crown (a prosthetic tooth) that is designed to be worn over a dental implant post. The crown itself is typically made from acrylic, porcelain, or zirconia, while the dental implant itself is made from titanium. Implant crowns are commonly used to replace a missing, damaged, or infected tooth.
While traditional dental crowns are prosthetic caps that are cemented over damaged teeth, implant crowns are cemented to dental implants, replacing the entire tooth altogether. They also stimulate the bone and gum tissue of the jaw like a natural tooth root. This feature sets them apart from dental bridges, because they don’t threaten the stability of the adjacent teeth by depending on them to be held in place.
Depending on the lab and practice, the implant crown itself (the prosthetic tooth) is typically made from acrylic, porcelain, or zirconia. Out of the three, zirconia is by far the strongest and most natural in terms of its appearance and weight. In our implant dentist office, we only use zirconia for your final delivery.
As for the dental implant itself, almost all dental implants are made from titanium. In our office, most of our implants are single-piece titanium for minimally invasive care and long-term success.
The longevity of the crown will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the material used to make it, the hygiene of the patient, and the force they applied when the patient chews. Zirconia crowns are likely to last much longer than acrylic or porcelain crowns because it the material is much harder.
Meanwhile, the lifespan of dental implant itself can also vary. Patient hygiene, maintenance, age, and bite strength are some of the factors that can affect longevity. Dental implants have an average industry success rate of 97% (success being defined as a lifespan of 5 years without failure). In our practice in Fort Worth, we’ve commonly seen patients use their implant and crown for 15 years without failure or repair.
When your implant crown is made from zirconia, it will enable you to eat virtually any food you would like! Our patients frequently give delighted feedback about being able to eat apples, steak, and corn-on-the-cob again with their new tooth.
However, please be aware that proper daily hygiene and home care is essential to the long-term success of your implant and crown. You also can’t expect your implant and crown to withstand destructive habits that would harm your natural teeth, such as chewing ice.
A traditional dental crown is an artificial cap that is placed on top of a damaged tooth to restore its natural appearance. This differs from a dental implant and crown, which replaces the tooth entirely.
Dental crowns can be made from a variety of materials, including metal, ceramic, resin, or porcelain. However, in our implant dentistry office, all of our final implant crowns are made from zirconia. Zirconia is the most natural substance available in dentistry for making prosthetic teeth. It is similar to a natural tooth in strength and weight and can be 3D milled to look identical in appearance.
Most the majority dental professionals only deliver either dental implants or crowns, but not both. Therefore, in the vast majority of dental offices, you will not receive a crown the same day as your dental implants.
However, at our office in Fort Worth TX, we provide every step of the implant process for our patients. In addition, we have an in-house dental lab that can provide our patients with a temporary crown to wear over their dental implant while their mouth adjusts to it. After an average healing period of 8-12 months, we will then deliver your final zirconia crown.
The cost of an implant crown will vary depending on the provider you choose and the region of the United States you live in. It also depends on whether you get both your implant and your crown placed by the same provider or if multiple offices are involved. The latter situation is actually more common, since most dental professionals only either place implants or deliver crowns, not both. In this instance, the average cost rises significantly.
Based on our research in Texas in 2022, the average cost of getting both an implant and crown from the same office is $4,561. With separate offices, the average cost rises to $5,511 ($2,604 for the implant, $2,907 for the crown).
If the cost above seems expensive, we have great news. At The Dental Implant Place, we provide every step of the dental implant process under one roof. Not only that, but our in-house lab will design your new implant crown and collaborate with you to make it look and feel exactly how you want it to. These features allow us to pass on significant cost savings to our patients, equivalent to 20-50% cost reduction vs the average cost per implant in Texas!
Do you want to see if an implant crown is right for you? Schedule a consultation with our experienced team and get educated! We have over 80 years of combined implant dentistry experience to help you get clarity on the process itself and on every option available to you.
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