New Hanover County · Since 1987
Crown Repair & Replacement in Castle Hayne, NC
A crown that has come off, cracked, chipped or started to hurt needs looking at soon. Sometimes it can be recemented the same day. Sometimes the tooth underneath is the real problem.
- Three doctors, one location
- Sedation available
- Most major plans accepted
- Written estimates before treatment
The basics of crown repair
Crowns fail in a handful of predictable ways. The cement washes out and the crown comes loose. Decay gets in at the edge where it meets the gum. The porcelain chips. Or the tooth underneath fractures. Each one has a different fix, and an x-ray tells us which one we are dealing with.
Castle Hayne patients and this treatment
Castle Hayne runs on shift work, the nuclear campus, the airport and the rail corridor, and employer dental benefits go unused every year.
Shift work makes daytime appointments difficult, and a cracked molar tends to get ignored until it abscesses. We open at 8:00 and will work with your rotation.
GE Vernova Hitachi is the anchor employer, and shift patterns there shape how we schedule Castle Hayne appointments.
River Bluffs has added a different resident profile to what was a rural community a decade ago.
ILM airport sits just south of Castle Hayne, and the NC-133 run to N. 23rd Street avoids the worst of the city traffic.
We see patients from across Castle Hayne and the surrounding area, including GE Vernova Hitachi, ILM airport, River Bluffs and the 28429 ZIP code.
New Hanover County is the built-out core of the region, growing around one percent a year, with roughly 21 percent of residents over 65 and the highest concentration of employer dental coverage in southeastern North Carolina.
Employer plans usually cover a meaningful share of this, and the balance resets in January whether you used it or not.
Early morning appointments starting at 8:00 so a cleaning does not cost you a shift.
You may be a candidate if
- A crown that has come off, whole or in pieces
- A crown that feels loose or moves when you chew
- Chipped or cracked porcelain
- A dark line or gap at the gum edge of an old crown
- Pain, sensitivity or a bad taste around a crowned tooth
How the treatment runs
- Exam and x-rayWe check whether the crown, the cement or the tooth underneath has failed.
- Recement or repairA sound crown on a sound tooth is cleaned and cemented back on. A small porcelain chip can sometimes be smoothed or bonded.
- Replacement if neededDecay is removed, the tooth is built back up if necessary, and a new crown is made from a digital scan.
- Bite checkWe adjust the contacts and bite so the new or recemented crown carries load evenly.
Afterwards
If the crown comes off before you can get here, keep it, keep the tooth clean, and avoid chewing on that side. Do not glue it back yourself with household adhesive; it traps decay under the crown and makes the eventual repair harder.
Follow-up appointments are brief and we open at 8:00, so they rarely cost more than the start of a shift.
What it costs
Recementing a crown that is still in good condition is a small visit. A replacement is priced as a new crown, and most dental plans cover it at their crown percentage once the original is past the plan's replacement window, commonly five to seven years. We check that window before quoting.
Employer dental benefits reset annually and unused balance does not carry over. If you have not used yours this year, it is worth checking what is left before December.
In their own words
Hear from Dr. Carter Lee
Dr. Lee on fixing only what needs fixing, and what it is like to hand a patient the mirror after a smile transformation.
Questions we get asked
My crown fell off. Is it an emergency?
Call us that day. It is rarely painful, but the exposed tooth is weak and can break or decay quickly, and the sooner it is covered the more likely the original crown can go back on.
Can you just glue my old crown back on?
Often, yes, if the crown is intact and the tooth underneath is healthy. We check both before recementing.
How far is your office from Castle Hayne?
About 11 miles, or roughly 20 minutes via NC-133 South (Castle Hayne Road) to N. 23rd Street. We are at 1301 Physicians Dr in Wilmington, with parking at the door.
Do you see patients from Castle Hayne?
Regularly. Castle Hayne is part of our core service area in New Hanover County, and early morning appointments starting at 8:00 so a cleaning does not cost you a shift.
What are your hours?
Monday through Thursday, 8:00am to 5:00pm, and Friday, 8:00am to 12:00pm. Outside those hours, leave a message or use the appointment request form and we will come back to you with the first available time.
Crown Repair & Replacement · Castle Hayne, NC
Call. Do not wait it out.
We keep time open each morning for urgent cases. Monday through Thursday, 8:00 to 5:00, and Friday, 8:00 to 12:00.
- Same-day appointments where the schedule allows
- Emergency patients seen whether or not you are established here
- Extractions and oral surgery on site
- Pain relief first, permanent plan second
Not sure it counts as an emergency? Call and describe it. We will tell you.
Request an appointment
We reply the next business day.
Please do not include Protected Health Information. For anything urgent, call (910) 762-0958.
