Ceramic or zirconia
Tooth-coloured materials often discussed when appearance and the position in the mouth matter.
Treatment explained
A crown: from a vulnerable tooth to a clearer journey.
A crown is a custom restoration placed over an existing tooth. This page helps you read the steps, terms and possible costs in a proposal — without deciding what is needed in your situation.
✦The overview
What a crown does and does not say.
A crown is not one standard treatment. The reason for it, the condition of the tooth, possible preparation and the chosen material belong in a treatment proposal tailored to the individual. R24 is the Dutch performance code for a crown on a natural tooth.
One possible journey
From preparation to placement.
The order and content can differ by situation. These four moments help make a proposal easier to discuss step by step.
01Start with the situation
The dentist discusses what is happening, what a crown could aim to do and which other options may be available. Additional examination or a preparatory treatment can be part of this moment.
02Create space and support
A tooth can be prepared for a crown. When there is not enough support, a build-up may be part of the proposal.
03Shape, shade and temporary protection
An impression or scan helps make a custom restoration. In many journeys, the tooth is temporarily protected in the meantime.
04Fit and final placement
Fit and contact with the other teeth are checked. The final crown is then placed once the fit is right.
Material is a conversation
There is no single “best” crown.
Material and technique are chosen within the treatment proposal. Ask what that choice means for appearance, place in the mouth, maintenance and cost.
Metal ceramic
A combination of a metal base and a tooth-coloured outer layer.
Metal
A wear-resistant material that may be part of the conversation in some situations.
A proposal you can review
Do not read a crown as one total amount.
An overview can show preparation, imaging or anaesthesia next to the crown itself. The practitioner determines which lines genuinely belong to the care provided.
See R24 in the code guideFor the conversation
Four questions that make an estimate easier to read.
- 01
What is the goal of the proposed crown, and which alternatives were discussed?
- 02
Which steps appear in the estimate next to R24?
- 03
Which material or technical costs may follow, and how are they specified?
- 04
Who can explain what will be checked after the crown is placed?
Alternatives
The conversation is bigger than the crown.
Depending on the situation, other options may be discussed, such as a filling, a facing or another replacement solution. Only the treating practitioner can explain what suits a specific tooth.
