NHS Crown V Private Crown

[gary m]

If you are requiring NHS treatment, the cost of a crown would be £177. A private crown would start from £300. I hope this information is useful to you. If you have any other enquiries or wish to book an appointment please do not hesitate to contact us again.

Just had that as an email reply to my question about costs in UK.
Would these be for the same crowns or are NHS ones an inferior product?

 

[DrMike]

hi
its impossible to say as there is no indication in the response of what materials these crowns would be made of. The NHS crown, if for a molar will likely be for a gold crown.
generally speaking the materials that labs use for private crowns are superior and more durable.
regards
dr mike

 

[gary m]

Thanks for the quick reply i will prob go private as i have had a lot better treatment his way.
Just a bit confused as one private surgery says approx £320 for porcelain and £360 for gold.
Which material is it better to go for in general.

 

[DrMike]

The price of gold is quite high just now which is why the gold crown is more.
Generally- if aesthetics don't concern you- gold is more durabe in that it tends to last longer (my great aunt still has gold work in place that my dentist great grandfather ploaced in the 1940s!!!!). Gold is also more biocompatable meaning that the mouth is generally quite happy with it being there. Often the tooth requires less preparation fopr gold as well, as the crown can be thinner than if it were porcelain, or porcelain fused to metal.
So in a nutshell- porcelain is great- it looks good and lasts well, but if your main objective is the longer lasting material- I'd go for gold!
regards
Dr Mike