Brunswick County · Since 1987
Crown Repair & Replacement in Leland, 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
A closer look at 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.
What we see from Leland
Leland is the fastest-growing town in the fastest-growing county in North Carolina, and roughly a third of residents are 65 or older.
Most of the restorative work we do for this community is second-generation: replacing crowns and bridges placed twenty or thirty years ago that have finally given out. The question is rarely whether to treat it, it is whether to keep patching or rebuild properly.
The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge is the whole conversation for Leland patients, and we are the first practice on the Wilmington side of it.
Half of Leland arrived in the last decade, which means a lot of our new patients here are transferring records from another state rather than another practice.
Brunswick Forest, Compass Pointe, Magnolia Greens and Waterford between them account for a large share of the town's households, and most of them are new construction.
We see patients from across Leland and the surrounding area, including Brunswick Forest, Compass Pointe, Magnolia Greens and the 28451 and 28479 ZIP codes.
Brunswick County is the fastest-growing county in North Carolina and the sixth fastest in the country, up about a quarter since 2020, and 35 percent of residents are 65 or older. That combination, rapid in-migration and an older population, is why so much of our Brunswick caseload is restorative.
We will tell you honestly whether this is worth doing now or whether it can be watched for a year, and we will say which of your existing work is likely to fail next.
We are the first dental practice across the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, which makes us closer to most of Leland than anything on the Brunswick side of the river.
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
What the process looks like
- 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.
If getting to follow-up visits is difficult, tell us. We can often combine checks into fewer, longer appointments.
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.
If you are on Medicare, note that it does not cover routine dental treatment. Many supplement plans include a limited dental benefit with an annual cap, and we will check yours before quoting anything.
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
Can a chipped porcelain crown be repaired?
A small chip can sometimes be polished or bonded. A larger fracture usually means replacing the crown.
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.
How far is your office from Leland?
About 9 miles, or roughly 18 minutes via US-74/76 East over the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge. We are at 1301 Physicians Dr in Wilmington, with parking at the door.
Do you see patients from Leland?
Regularly. Leland is part of our core service area in Brunswick County, and we are the first dental practice across the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, which makes us closer to most of Leland than anything on the Brunswick side of the river.
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 · Leland, 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.
