Dental Crowns: Materials, Appointments, Cost and Coverage
A crown is a custom-made cap that covers the entire visible part of a tooth. The tooth is reduced on all sides and on the biting surface, an impression or scan is taken, and a crown is manufactured to fit over what remains and restore the original shape, size and function.
What crown involves
A crown is a custom-made cap that covers the entire visible part of a tooth. The tooth is reduced on all sides and on the biting surface, an impression or scan is taken, and a crown is manufactured to fit over what remains and restore the original shape, size and function. It is the restoration of choice when a tooth can no longer hold a filling reliably — because too much structure has been lost, because it has cracked, or because root canal treatment has left it brittle. A crown works by encircling the tooth and holding it together, which is something no filling can do regardless of what it is made of.
When this treatment is used
Indicated for a tooth with extensive decay or a large failing restoration, a cracked or fractured cusp, a root-treated posterior tooth, severe wear, or a tooth needing substantial cosmetic correction. Also used as the retainer at either end of a conventional bridge.
How the two appointments work
First visit: local anaesthetic, removal of the old restoration and any decay, reduction of the tooth to a specific shape and thickness, sometimes a core build-up if there is not enough structure to shape, then an impression or digital scan and a temporary crown cemented with soft cement. Expect ninety minutes or so. Second visit, usually two to three weeks later: the temporary comes off, the crown is tried in, the fit at the margin and the contact with the neighbouring teeth are checked, the bite is adjusted, and it is cemented permanently. Expect thirty to sixty minutes. Practices with in-house milling can compress this into one longer appointment. The temporary phase is the part patients ask about most. Temporaries are held with deliberately weak cement so they can be removed, so they do occasionally come off — keep it, avoid chewing sticky food on that side, and get it re-cemented promptly so the tooth does not shift.
What can go wrong, and when to go back
Sensitivity to cold for a few weeks after preparation is common in a tooth with a live nerve. Persistent throbbing, pain on biting, or pain that builds over days suggests the pulp has not tolerated the procedure, and somewhere between one in twenty and one in ten prepared teeth eventually needs root canal treatment afterwards. That risk is higher for teeth that already had deep restorations. A crown that feels high, catches floss, or lets food pack between teeth should be adjusted rather than lived with. A high crown transmits excess force to the tooth and the joint, and an open contact causes decay in the neighbour within a few years.
Choosing a material
The practical hierarchy: full-contour zirconia and metal crowns are the strongest and best suited to molars and heavy grinders; layered ceramics look the most natural and suit front teeth; porcelain fused to metal is the traditional compromise, strong but with an opaque core that can show as a dark line at the gum over time; gold is extremely durable and kind to opposing teeth but obviously metallic. Most plans pay the same allowance regardless, though some reduce payment for precious alloys or for ceramic on posterior teeth. Where a downgrade applies, the patient covers the difference.
Costs and insurance in summary
Typical fee range across the group: $0–$0 where a single band applies. Several codes here are priced individually and carry their own range on their own page. Crown fees vary more by geography and practice than by material. A core build-up, post and core, or root canal treatment on the same tooth are all billed separately and can add substantially to the total.
Benefit category: Major, typically 50% after deductible on a typical plan. Standard major benefit treatment. The annual maximum is the binding constraint for most patients — two crowns in one year often exhausts it.
Common restrictions: Waiting periods of 6–12 months are common on major benefits; Replacement usually limited to once every 5–7 years per tooth; Pre-authorisation is frequently requested; Some plans downgrade precious alloys or posterior ceramics to a base-metal allowance.
The codes this guide covers
Each of these describes a variant of the same procedure. Follow a code for its own fee range, its coverage notes and what distinguishes it from the rest of the group.
| Code | Variant | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|
| D2710 | Crown — indirect resin-based composite | $835–$1,935 |
| D2712 | Crown — 3/4 indirect resin-based composite | $835–$1,935 |
| D2720 | Crown — resin with high noble metal | $1,195–$2,770 |
| D2721 | Crown — resin with predominantly base metal | $950–$2,200 |
| D2722 | Crown — resin with noble metal | $1,065–$2,465 |
| D2750 | Crown — porcelain fused to high noble metal — most reported | $1,215–$2,815 |
| D2751 | Crown — porcelain fused to base metal | $950–$2,200 |
| D2752 | Crown — porcelain fused to noble metal | $1,085–$2,510 |
| D2753 | Crown — porcelain fused to titanium | $1,045–$2,420 |
| D2780 | Crown — 3/4 cast high noble metal | $1,275–$2,950 |
| D2783 | Crown — 3/4 porcelain/ceramic | $1,100–$2,550 |
| D2790 | Crown — full cast high noble metal | $1,275–$2,950 |
| D2791 | Crown — full cast predominantly base metal | $950–$2,200 |
| D2792 | Crown — full cast noble metal | $1,120–$2,595 |
| D2794 | Crown — titanium and titanium alloys | $1,045–$2,420 |
Common questions
How long does a dental crown last?
Commonly ten to twenty years, and often longer. Failure is usually decay at the margin or fracture of the underlying tooth rather than of the crown itself.
Why do I need a crown instead of a filling?
Because a filling sits inside the tooth and cannot hold it together. Once too much structure is gone, or a cusp is cracked, only a restoration that encircles the tooth prevents it splitting.
Does getting a crown hurt?
The preparation is done under local anaesthetic and is not painful. Cold sensitivity for a few weeks afterwards is common; pain that builds or throbs needs reassessing.
What if my temporary crown comes off?
Keep it, avoid chewing on that side, and contact the practice to have it re-cemented. Leaving the tooth uncovered lets it shift, which can stop the final crown fitting.
Can a crowned tooth still need a root canal?
Yes. Preparing a tooth stresses the pulp, and a small percentage of crowned teeth later need root canal treatment. The crown itself can usually be accessed through the top and repaired.