Affordable Non-Metal Dental Crowns San Diego

SERVING SAN DIEGO COUNTY INCLUDING ESCONDIDO, RANCHO BERNARDO, POWAY

Dental crowns can be used to strengthen the structure of a badly damaged or decayed tooth, protect a weak tooth from breaking, cover a discolored tooth, anchor dental bridges, cap a dental implant, or cover a tooth that has had a root canal treatment.

Dental crowns feel and function like natural teeth and can last 5-15 years. Dental crowns can be made from a number of different materials, including metal, porcelain, resin, or ceramics.  If you’re looking for the most durable, and most aesthetically pleasing crowns, Emax crowns and Zirconia is the best of the best.

When are Dental Crowns Necessary?

Dental crowns are like caps that are placed on top of the visible portions of existing teeth. The teeth that require this kind of protective encasement are usually compromised in some way and need extra support, protection, or length/shape. Some applications of dental crowns are:

exam

If a tooth is worn down by tooth grinding or breaking off, a crown provides more length.

flap surgery

When a tooth is discolored beyond what teeth whitening can fix, or has an odd shape–a crown can still give you a Hollywood smile.

illustration of tooth decay

When a tooth is cracked, broken, or decayed–a crown can hold together what is left while providing an attractive dental structure.

Crowns can cover dental implants and anchor dental bridges.

fillings

Protect teeth with big dental fillings from further damage.

How much does a dental crown cost at our office?

Emax crown cost $950
Zirconia crowns cost $1250

What is a dental crown?

Dental Crown

A dental crown is a dental restoration option for treating badly damaged or weakened teeth. A crown is a type of tooth cap that rests on top of the weak or damaged tooth in order to reinforce it, make it more functional, and prevent further damage. When a filling is insufficient to treat the decay, or when too many fillings have compromised the tooth’s structure, a crown allows the dentist to remove the decay and preserve the rest of the tooth. A crown is also used as a component of other dental restoration procedures, including dental implants, dental bridges, and root canals. Although there was a time when metal dental crowns were the only option, today non-metal crowns are considered the safer, healthier, more modern, and all-around better option.

Reasons to choose non-metal dental crowns

The most common non-metal crowns are made of porcelain or ceramic, and they offer a wide range of benefits. Here are a few:

  • Better health

Many industries outsource components of their trade to other countries. The same is true for dentistry, and in some cases, this has led to traces of lead found in metal crowns. When you choose non-metal dental crowns, you can take this worry off your mind altogether.

  • Reduced tooth sensitivity

Metal crowns can cause pain and tooth sensitivity with hot food and drinks.  Non-metal crowns won’t conduct the heat down into your tooth in this way, so you can enjoy your food without tooth sensitivity.

  • Pleasing appearance

Porcelain and ceramic dental crowns look like natural teeth, so they blend more seamlessly with your other teeth, making them harder to spot than metal crowns. So you can relax knowing people are looking at your smile, not your crowns.

  • No MRI interference

Metal crowns interfere with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is used to look inside at your soft tissue. The metal crowns distort the pictures, and in some cases, the problem requires removal of the crowns. Of course, this isn’t always the case, but with porcelain or ceramic crowns, you’ll never have to worry about your metal crowns interfering with an MRI procedure. 

  • No problems with dental implants

Dental implants involve the use of a titanium post inserted into the jawbone. It’s strong, safe, and biocompatible, and unlike other metals, it doesn’t interfere with the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). But when other metals are introduced, the conditions in the mouth can lead to the corrosion of the implants. With dental implants, non-metal crowns are always a better option.

Crown replacement procedure

If you already have permanent metal dental crowns but you’d like to have them replaced with non-metal crowns, it’s a good choice that can help give you a sense of relief. The steps for upgrading your metal crowns for non-metal crowns include:

  • Local anesthesia is administered to minimize discomfort
  • An adhesive is used on the permanent crowns to weaken the cement
  • The teeth are cleaned out
  • An impression is taken
  • Temporary crowns are put in place
  • The new crowns are fabricated (this can take weeks)
  • A second appointment is scheduled for the new crowns to be cemented in place

If you’re interested in replacing your crowns with non-metal crowns, Dr. Salami can help. 

What is an Emax crown?

Emax crowns are the latest in all-ceramic dental crowns, created from lithium disilicate, which is harvested especially for its superb strength and aesthetic qualities. Emax crowns are tougher and more durable than zirconia crowns, making them longer lasting and less prone to chipping. Lithium disilicate is partially translucent, so Emax crowns reflect light just like natural teeth, which is especially important for the teeth that are visible when you smile. In short, Emax crowns offer superior aesthetics and durability, improving tooth structure and strength while also providing a natural-looking appearance.

What are the benefits of Emax crowns?

Emax crowns are an ideal dental restoration solution with a number of advantages over standard porcelain crowns as well as zirconia crowns. The benefits include:

  • require only a minimal amount of tooth preparation
  • preserve more of the natural tooth structure than other types of crowns
  • can strengthen teeth that are broken or fractured
  • can restore a large area of decay too severe for filling
  • can complete the dental restoration after a root canal procedure
    provide a solid anchor for dental bridges
  • can be placed on top of a dental implant for a complete restoration
  • Emax crowns are stronger and less likely to chip or crack than other crowns
  • can resist more pressure than zirconia crowns
  • Unlike porcelain, Emax crowns do not leave a gray line at the gum
  • can be easily customized to the perfect fit and shape
  • has a natural translucency that mimics natural enamel
  • can be matched to the shade of the natural teeth
  • look more natural than other types of crowns

What is the difference between crown and veneer

Examining mouth with mirror

What is an Zirconia crown?

Zirconia crowns are made from zirconium dioxide, a very durable type of metal that’s related to titanium, although it’s categorized as a type of ceramic crown.

Zirconia dental crown benefits

  • Strength. One of the biggest advantages of zirconia is its strength and durability. Consider how much force your back teeth exert on the food that you chew.
  • Longevity. Zirconia crowns last 10 years or longer.
  • Highly biocompatible. Zirconia is suitable for patients with metal allergies or who would prefer to have metal-free restorations.
  • Same-day procedure. Same-day crowns involve the use of CEREC technology. Dr. Salami uses a dental milling machine (CEREC) in her dental office to make the crown from a block of zirconia. This process eliminates the need to stretch the procedure into two visits.

The CEREC, or Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics, the process uses computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology to speed up this process.

Read more about Same Day CEREC Zirconia crown

REQUEST YOUR DENTAL CROWN CONSULTATION

Need a dental crown in San Diego?

Make an appointment with Dr. Salami today!


If you’re looking for a highly skilled and experienced Rancho Bernardo dentist with a commitment to providing patients with top-notch care using cutting-edge dental technology, you’ll feel right at home with Dr. Pegah Salami.

Dr. Salami specializes in advanced dentistry procedures and makes it a priority to stay up-to-date with high-tech dental treatments like Emax and Zirconia dental crowns.

We serve Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Penasquitos, Poway, Escondido, and Carmel Mountain Ranch. We look forward to hearing from you.

 

Pegah S. Salami, DMD, FAGD IconPegah S. Salami, DMD, FAGD

12396 World Trade Drive #208, San Diego

4.6 182 reviews

  • Avatar Rudy Rodriguez ★★★★★ 3 months ago
    A sincere pleasure to always be greeted by the outgoing staff and treated like family by Dr. Salami and her qualified staff of hygienist. I have 99 problems, but a great dentist ain’t one 👌😏
  • Avatar Michele Santellen ★★★★★ 5 months ago
    I've been coming here for over a year. I'm so so glad to have such an amazing team, that's so attuned to my needs and anxiety. Elaine is hilarious, but always professional when working. Sayeh is always sweet, leaves the best … More voice-mails, and is so happy to see everyone. The office is always clean and homey, so I'm more at ease here. I can't recommend this team more!
  • Avatar Sarah Blessing ★★★★★ 4 months ago
    I have been coming to this dental office for several years now and they always welcome me with a smile and ask me how I've been. My hygienist today, Amanda, gently walked me though the best steps for preventing gingivitis and to lessen … More bleeding gums. Even so often she'd throw in a fun fact about the mouths biology to keep me entertained while I sat there. Definitely recommend if you want a friendly and fun dental clinic.
  • Avatar DaShawn Johnson ★★★★★ 3 months ago
    Love love love this place! Professional' experienced and experts! I had a phobia as a young girl but now I'm semi over it and they helped me relax. My teeth are getting more healthy with each visit!

Before & After Dental Crowns

Click or swipe right to see the before photo.

Before Porcelain Crowns
After Porcelain Crowns
Before Crowns
After Crowns
Before Dental Implant
After Dental Implant