Is a full cast high noble metal crown more expensive than a porcelain crown?!
Question: My dentist forgot to tell me that he had decided on that for tooth 31, his asst. told me that is what I was getting put in two minutes befor he came in to seat it. It is large ,gold and ugly. I think i taken on the cost of 1200 dollars.I live in Alaska
Answers: My dentist forgot to tell me that he had decided on that for tooth 31, his asst. told me that is what I was getting put in two minutes befor he came in to seat it. It is large ,gold and ugly. I think i taken on the cost of 1200 dollars.I live in Alaska
Actually, you did pay slightly less for the gold than you would have for porcelain or PFM (porcelain fused to metal.) It is upsetting that you were not given a choice since there isn't a HUGE amount of difference, and in that case (when the dentist does not have a reason that one way would be better for the patient's oral health), I usually give the patient the choice.
However, if it's any comfort, your dentist chose the right material. I know it is very visible to you, but the public VERY rarely sees #31. Only if they're sitting above you and happen to be looking down while you're cracking up or yawning. It will look extremely obvious to you, especially while you're adjusting to it.
But the benefits of gold are this: It's much more biocompatible with your mouth. Porcelain is too hard (it tends to wear away the natural teeth opposing it) and very brittle, so with all the chewing forces you're doing it is more likely to fail under stress. Gold is extremely strong and has good tensile strength because it's softer AND harder than porcelain (so it can "flex" more and there is less chance for breakage.) The biology of your mouth prefers gold to porcelain for some reason and there tends to be better harmony with your mouth (periodontally speaking.)
In fact, people with gold restorations will sometimes come into the dental office and say it was placed 50 years before, and it still looks gorgeous! Most dentists wish they could use it all the time, but as you know, it's certainly not the most aesthetic material.
So it's horrible for the dentist to have ordered such an expensive restoration without your consent, though in this case, it does sound like he was thinking of your best interest. That restoration will do excellently in your mouth and last ages! But do tell him you were disappointed, and feel free to find a more empathetic practitioner.
Usually the price is the same, within $25 or so, and the porcelain would usually be the more expensive of the two. The advantage of gold is that you will never have to worry about the porcelain chipping so it is a great long term restoration. It is unfortunate though, that you weren't given a choice.