The Difference Between Crowns & Fillings

When you go to the dentist, hearing that you need a filling or crown is usually unpleasant news. Dentists use fillings and crowns to restore strength to your teeth. There are important differences between the two procedures, including cost, purpose and materials. Understanding these differences might help you feel less intimidated about your upcoming trip to the dentist.

Purpose

• Dentists use fillings or crowns to repair cavities and other tooth damage. A filling is typically used to repair minor damage in your tooth, such as a small cavity. Dentists also use fillings to repair small cracks in your teeth or to reduce damage from tooth grinding.

  A dental crown repairs more significant damage. A tooth with advanced decay, significant cracks, severe wear, large fillings or misshapen appearance might need a crown. Your dentist determines what type of procedure to use based on her clinical judgment and the extent of tissue damage.

Shape

• Dental fillings consist of small pieces of gold, porcelain, silver, plastic or glass. These materials are often mixed with other metals or resin to add strength. A dental filling takes the shape of the space into which it is placed. Dental crowns, on the other hand, have a defined shape. A crown is a cap that fits snugly over your tooth to cover its entire surface. Dentists make crowns from gold alloy, nickel alloy, porcelain, resin or ceramic. Some porcelain crowns is fused to underlying metal to give them strength, while others consist entirely of porcelain.

Procedure

• To prepare a tooth for a filling, dentists use a laser or air abrasion tool to remove decaying tissue from the tooth. After cleaning the space, the dentist fills the area with tooth-colored filling materials. These materials harden to form a tough area that cannot be penetrated by bacteria. Dentists finish tooth fillings in one office visit.

  A dental crown takes longer to place on the tooth. During your first visit, the dentist reshapes the surface of the affected tooth to reduce its size. He then makes an impression of the tooth using putty and covers the tooth with a temporary crown. You return to the dentist's office two or three weeks later to receive your permanent crown, which a professional manufacturing facility has shaped to fit the tooth. The dentist cements the new crown onto your tooth.

Cost

• The cost of dental fillings and crowns varies by the type of material used and your region. Porcelain, gold and composite materials often cost more than silver or other metals. Because a filling requires less time and materials, it costs significantly less than a crown. In 2011, an amalgam filling cost between $110 to $200, while a single crown cost $500 to $1,100. Insurance companies often cover some of the cost of fillings and crowns, but you might need to pay partial expenses out of pocket.