Straight answers · New Hanover County
How Much Do Dental Crowns Cost in Wilmington, NC?
Cost is the first question and nobody likes the answer "it depends." Here is what drives the number, what your insurance is likely to do with it, and how patients in Wilmington pay for it.
What drives the number
Most dental plans cover crowns at a percentage after the deductible, often around half. Cost varies with the material and whether the tooth needs a build-up first. We run the estimate through your benefits before scheduling so the number you hear is the number you pay.
What you are paying for
- Exam and x-ray
- Preparation
- Lab fabrication
- Fit and cement
Each stage carries its own fee, and the estimate itemises them so you can see where the money goes. Full detail on crowns ›
What moves the number most
- The material: porcelain, zirconia or gold
- Whether the tooth needs a core build-up before the crown
- A front tooth that needs custom shade matching with the lab
- Whether the tooth needs a root canal first
- Your plan's annual maximum, which a single crown can use a large share of
Paying for this in Wilmington
The Cargo District is close enough to walk from, and much of the 17th Street medical corridor sends its own staff here.
Wilmington's employer base is unusually well insured for a city this size, between Novant Health, PPD, Corning, Live Oak Bank and nCino.
Our patients come from every part of the city: Forest Hills and Pine Valley, the historic district downtown, Mayfaire and Landfall out east, Monkey Junction and Riverlights to the south.
One practical note
We can sequence larger cases across two benefit years where the clinical situation allows it, which puts two annual maximums against the same plan of treatment.
Questions we get asked
Why will you not publish a price for dental crowns?
Because a number without an examination is a guess, and a guess that turns out low reads as a bait and switch. You get a written, itemized estimate at the consultation before committing to anything.
Does insurance cover dental crowns?
Most dental plans cover crowns at a percentage after the deductible, often around half. Cost varies with the material and whether the tooth needs a build-up first. We run the estimate through your benefits before scheduling so the number you hear is the number you pay.
Do you offer payment plans for dental crowns?
Yes. Third-party financing spreads treatment into monthly payments, with interest-free terms over shorter periods for patients who qualify. We can sequence larger cases across two benefit years where the clinical situation allows it, which puts two annual maximums against the same plan of treatment.
Do you see patients from Wilmington?
Regularly. Wilmington is part of our core service area in New Hanover County, and most Wilmington neighborhoods reach us in under twenty minutes, and we have been the practice on 17th Street since 1987.
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 or extraction and implant?
If there is enough healthy tooth left to hold a crown, saving it is almost always the better call. When the tooth is split below the gum, it is not.
Get a written estimate
Honest dentistry, since 1987.
We will tell you what needs doing now, what can wait, and what we would leave alone.
- Over 50,000 patients treated since 1987
- Comprehensive new patient exam including oral cancer screening
- Three doctors and a long-tenured team
- Most major dental plans accepted
Been told you need a lot of work somewhere else? Second opinions are welcome and we give them straight.
Request an appointment
We reply the next business day.
Please do not include Protected Health Information. For anything urgent, call (910) 762-0958.