Dental Crown Cost - Buyer Experiences and Price Information

I think they're all scoundrels. 3,000.00 dollars for a tooth? Being crooks, I'm surprised they don't travel with security. SCUM BAGS!!

cost is totally ridiculous.the time the DENTIST spent in my mouth was about 5-10 minutes.WTF?

I have insurance which only covers 1000.00 dollars a year with insurance I have already spent almost 4000.00 since January, why is there no insurance thats worth a damn. I can not really afford this and I need at last six more crowns this year, I have no idea where I am going to get the money, but I really dont want to lose anymore teeth. I have had two pulled already. Does anyone know of any good dental insurance.

Before I decide to do the crowns I ask the dental assistant how much going to cost me to replace one of the old crown in one tooth and do a root canal and new crown in other tooth. She told me with insurance around $1900.00. I wait a couple months to save some money and decided to do it. The first time I paid around $1500 and now I receive an statement that I need to pay $1100 more. I'm not happy with one tooth because I'm still have sensitivity and the crown was big. The Dr. reduced and polish the crown. Now the crown is not shining anymore. I'm complaining about that but really they don't care. I think if the doctor didn't make a good job I shouldn't not pay for that amount. Somebody can give me some advice?

yes the dental work is expensive and I don't have insurance nor do I have a high paying job. But if the work is professional and the pain goes away then it will be worth it. Even with the extra parttime job to pay for it.

They WANT $12,000 for a front bridge and 2 implants. NO WAY do I have that kind of money and I don't know what to do. My mouth hurts. I could go econly but that's still expensive. I paid $3,000 for my bridge I have now and it's falling apart. I don't know what to do.

I just had my crown completed yesterday. The dentist was very professional and I had minimal discomfort. rnNot all dentists are professional though. The reason I had to have the crown was because of an unethical dentist who drilled into every one of my molars when I was a child to the point one of them crumbled while I was eating a ham sandwich. I was not a candy eater and yes, I brushed my teeth. I believe I would have been better off not seeing the dentist at all as he ruined my teeth.

a new dentist to me, said threw full head x-ray that there's a cavity under an old crown caused by my gum rescission. He said he has to remove and break the old crown, get decay out, build up tooth, and replace with new crown. Cost~$1612.00. and of course I don't have insurance. Thankfully I applied for a "Care Credit card"and was approved for $3000.00, at 12 months no interest.

These posts are way out of line. Gold costs a dental lab roughly $940.00 for one ounce of 47% gold alloy; an industry standard. The lab can make 5 to 7 crowns from this ounce. A high priced lab is charging AT MOST $450.00 for these easily made restorations. Ask your dentist for the labs name and # and give them a call... and ask to see the labs invoice. If your Dr is over charging, they will likely not want to show you the invoice or share the phone # with you.

becarfull were u go
I went to a local dentest that refered my wife to a dentist that do the root conal and there was a huge defrince than the one i looked up tru my inshurance there was a 1200 dollar difrance
and the qualaty im shure is still top noch my wife was very happy

The most expensive dental work is no dental work done at all...meaning that it is far better to make sure you go for regular check-ups, xrays, and prevention in order to nip small problems in the bud. Remember, teeny cavities are hardly ever painful -- yet. Left untreated, they will get worse since they can't heal themselves. If you wait to the point where there is considerable pain, you already have advanced to a larger problem. So if your dentist (an honest one) tells you that you have a small cavity or a small crack on your tooth, even if it doesn't hurt yet, please get it taken care of now before it erupts into a bigger and more costly problem. I am not a dentist, but I do work in a dental office. I see it all the time...folks that wait and wait, and then come in later with excrutiating pain. By then, it has progressed to a major and very expensive procedure, like a Crown, Root Canal, or Extraction. (And telling them "I told you so" is not cool.)

Was quoted $1064.00 which doesn't sound to bad from looking at all the other post and I only have a discount plan which is apprx 15%. This for replacing a broken crown I have had for 20+ years.

As a dentist for over thirty years I am well
aware that the cost for dentistry is not
inexspensive and yes some dentist are hard
sell and over treat patients. My average lab bill
per crown is $185 to $250. I use a local lab.
I don't send my lab work to China or cheap
mass production labs. I charge about $1000
per crown and use gold which is currently $1350
per oz. It takes about 2 1/2 hours to do crown.
Most people think I get to put all the profit
in my pocket but I have to pay staff, rent,
insurance, utilities etc. I would like to think my time is worth more than a plumbers but not
so. I had to call a drain cleaning company a
few weeks ago. Cost $185. Time spent in office
20 minutes and I had to pay before he left. Last year had to have my water heater replaced. Cost
$900. Time spent in office about one hour. Cost
of the water heater at Home Depot $275 and that
is a retail price and I had to pay in full before
the plumber left. Yes you can go to Mexico and
save alot of money because the cost of operating
a dental office in Mexico is much, much cheaper
than California. Most dental ofiices have an hourly overhead of $200-$300 per hour, or more.
This what is costs just keep the doors open
and before the dentist earns one cent.

Broke a Crown after 5 years eating popcorn.
I am not paying $1200 for another rubbish job no matter what.
Will either leave the country to have the work done or extraction.
THE US HEALTH SYSTEM BASED ON INADEQUATE INSURANCE SUCKS.

I priced around and all the dentist were close on the cost. I had to make three (3) visits. None of the precedures were painful. The total cost was around $2500.00. Glad the insurance picked up about half. An implant was recommended to me, but I could not afford the $3200.00 the dentist would have charged and the insurance does not pay anything for implant. I would have had to pay 100% of that cost.

Shocked at amount for Root Canal and core buildup w/pins and then crown for my son. They also found many more problems that have to be fixed immediately. Thinking of going to mexico for vacation because dental work is so much cheaper there. Wondering how long to have to wait for crown to be made and fitted? Do some places have there own labs????
Also the dental office worker from Southlake Texas that told us to shut up and pay our bill.... If he has a office in Southlake hes banking, Southlake is voted one of the most expensive areas in the United States. I bet you do want the rest of us to shut up!

I was to be charged $1248 for removing decay and a new gold crown. Dentist who sold his practice to another said gold was high and he would give me $150 for the old crown. Owner of practice said $60. I asked what material would be used at gumline to prevent another cavity. Received letter today stating they were cutting me out as patient. No answer to my question. I think it is because they don't want to be found out to be cheating re the gold price and that they don't have an excuse for the cavity at the gum line. Does anyone have any answers or experience? They are refusing to the do the work, and the cavity is said to be deep. I believe this is libel and probably won't be able to get another dentist.

No insurance. This crown is to replace an existing crown that appears to have decay under it. Root canal has been done in the past. Glad I called to get the cost ahead of time as I assumed it would be under $1000.

2 things.
I have had to have 4 crowns in 2 years since I have started with this dentist.
Isnt the core build up supposed to be included in this cost? So they charge 1090 for the crown, then 165. for the build up. Insurance only pays 50% of non precious metal so I have to pay the other 50% plus the balance for the adjusted rate of the Porcelain to gold plus the build up /Prep of the tooth.
Secondly, the last 3 crowns look like metal to me, I am told my dentist only does gold to porcelain crowns.

Broke a molar eating a cracker!? Good news: no pain physically. Bad news: no dental insurance. $990 later and several hours, I have a new looking tooth, matching color and minimal jaw ache.

I am "lucky" enough to have medicaid, which covers most basic dental work except for a 3.00 copay per visit. The problem is, I have yet to meet a dentist that accepts medicaid that has any clue how to perform actual dentistry. The first root canal I had done, the dentist left necrotic tissue inside the tooth, and then couldn't figure out why I wasn't responding to the 5 different antibiotics. Had to get that one fixed at the dental college (incidentally, they don't believe you have to have a crown over a root canal, and I haven't had a problem with the tooth since)
Went to a different dentist the next time. Again, problems with infection, the crown didn't fit (so he just filed it down, chipping the heck out of it in the process) 6 months later, the fing thing is infected again, so they have to pull it. The tooth comes out, and there's filling material hanging out of the root tips...he managed to file out the bottom on 2 of the 3 canals.
Sitting here with an upper molar screaming at me, and you know what? I'm scared to do this again. I almost think it's worth paying the 2k or whatever the specialist is going to charge. At least there's a better chance he didn't graduate at the bottom of his class, and might take his time for a profit, instead of treating me like a second class citizen because he's loosing money on state insurance,

I need help. i have a missing tooth. its been missing for two years now and I have gone into deep depression without it. its embarrasing and my wholelife is ruined. I was foster kid but since been emancipated. I dont know what to do. how do i ghet this space filled!!!!!!??????? ive been to family services, but its not helping. who do i go to???????

Quote from Andi L:
"Typically, dentists have 75% of their production costs spent as overhead. The range is from 50-90%. That means, for every $100 you spend at the dentist, the dentist makes only $25"
Holy christ, so your profit is 25%? That is INSANE. No wonder there is no itemization on the bill, just a 2100 "Dentist charge" of which "insurance" allows only 1300 (so I have to pay half of 1300 and the diff between 2100 and 1300). What a ripoff!

OK, first of all, please all you dentists and dental assistants feel free to explain your costs, I am listening, really! It makes sense to me. What doesn't is your condescending attitudes. Give that a rest and be professional in your explanation. I have some insurance that is covered, some that is not. I will pay my bill as I should. I hope that the work is done well. I have done my homework in finding a good dentist, and can only hope they are being fair with me.

After reading the posts on this blog, I do not feel too bad about my bill.
I am in the CIGNA HMO. In Boulder Colorado I used Boulder Modern Dentistry.
The CIGNA HMO dictates a fee schedule to the dentist. They cannot charge more that the fee schedule for a given procedure. To add to the billing, they can do additional procedures, so you have to watch for that.
I just had a new crown put on tooth 31, which had developed a crack. Fortunately, I got a written quote at the time the appointment for the crown was made.
The total was $365 which was right out of the CIGNA HMO fee schedule.
This office uses a CAD system to photograph and xray your tooth and the surrounding teeth. They then manufacture the porcelain crown in the office from the photograph/xray while you wait.
The whole procedure takes about 2 hours from walk in to walk out. I just had it done and it seems to have worked out ok.
I thought $365 was alot for 2hrs, but based on the posts here, it seems reasonable.

My dentist wanted $599. more than insurance for crown.I told him money was very tight. But he would not start work until I paid him for the crown via time payments up to the $599. I have seen this dentist for about 10 years and my children too. I was surprised he was so uncaring about my situation. After I left the office, I remembered I have Care Credit, and it is in my dental records, but no one at the dental office even checked my records. I am looking for a more humane dentist .

If it cost the dentist so much money to deal with the insurance company don't insult me with an offer of a 5% discount for cash. The dentist charged my insurance company $550 for the last crown and now without insurance wants to charge me $1200 for the same service. Oh, minus a 5% cash discount. If you aren't business smart enough to understand the value of immediate cash into your business, how can I expect you to be smart enough to work on my teeth?

went to have wisdom teeth removed, advised that I needed a crown on the molar next to it. Quoted $55 for the extraction, (after insurance), but then suggested to do teh crown that same day since nI was already numbed. Didn't really think about cost, nobody brought it up. When I got out the recepcionist was waiting for me witha bill for 469.95. I wish they would had let me know beforehand.

Had to have to back molars worked on with build up and crowns put on. Dentist had to remove old fillings. Total costs was $2025.00 and also included 3 fillings on other teeth. Insurance picked up most of the costs.

Cosmetic improvement in smile due to mild spacing cost $1875/tooth.
Is this completely unacceptable?