The 4 types of dental crowns used most often in Phoenix are porcelain, zirconia, porcelain fused to metal, and full metal. Which one suits you depends mostly on where the tooth sits in your mouth and how hard you bite down on it. If a dentist has already told you that you need a crown, this guide covers the four materials we place for dental crowns at our North Phoenix office, how each one looks, what it costs locally, and how insurance usually handles it.
Which dental crown material is right for you?
Diamondback Dentistry places four crown materials in Phoenix: porcelain, zirconia, porcelain fused to metal, and full metal. Porcelain looks the most natural on front teeth. Zirconia and metal handle the bite force on molars better. Our crown special is $675, against a Phoenix range of $800 to $2,500.
Why crown material matters more than most patients expect
By the time material comes up, the hard decision is usually already made. A tooth is cracked, heavily filled, or has just had root canal treatment, and it needs to be covered. What is still open is what the cover is made of, and that choice changes how the tooth looks and how it holds up.
What a dental crown actually does
A crown is a cap that fits over the whole visible part of a tooth. According to the American Dental Association, a crown can make a tooth stronger and improve its appearance, and it is used to protect a weak tooth, cover a discolored tooth, or top a dental implant.
That gives the crown two jobs at once. It has to survive years of chewing, and it has to look like it belongs next to the teeth around it. Materials are good at those two jobs in different proportions, which is the whole reason there is a choice to make.
The three things that decide the material
Where the tooth sits. A front tooth is on display every time you talk. A second molar is almost never seen. Visibility is the first filter, and it rules out about half the options on its own.
How hard you bite. Molars carry far more force than front teeth, and people who clench or grind at night raise that load further. Strength matters more at the back of the mouth than at the front.
How much tooth is left. Materials differ in how much healthy tooth has to be shaved down to make room for them. Where damage is limited, a crown may not even be the answer. Inlays and onlays cover part of a tooth rather than all of it, and they are worth asking about before committing to full coverage.
The 4 types of dental crowns
These are the four materials we place most often, in the order patients usually ask about them.
1. Porcelain and all-ceramic crowns
An all-ceramic crown is made entirely of porcelain or a similar ceramic, with no metal anywhere in it. It is the material to reach for when appearance is the priority.
What it looks like
Porcelain is the closest thing dentistry has to natural enamel. It picks up light the same way, with a slight translucency at the edge of the tooth that opaque materials cannot copy. Because there is no metal underneath, the color stays consistent all the way to the gum line, even years later.
How long it lasts
Porcelain and ceramic crowns typically last 10 to 15 years with normal care. They resist staining well. The tradeoff is that porcelain is more prone to chipping under heavy or repeated force than the materials that contain metal, which is why it is a better fit at the front of the mouth than the back. Individual results vary with bite, habits, and home care.
Best tooth positions for it
Front teeth, canines, and any tooth that shows when you smile. If a tooth is visible and the bite load on it is moderate, porcelain is usually the right answer.
2. Zirconia crowns
Zirconia is a ceramic too, but a much tougher one. It is made from zirconium dioxide, and it is valued in dentistry for its fracture resistance, per a 2024 review in the peer-reviewed literature on zirconia ceramic crowns. It has become the middle ground between the two older options.
What it looks like
Zirconia is tooth colored, so it reads as a tooth rather than as dental work. It is not a perfect match for porcelain, though. Solid zirconia tends to look brighter and more opaque than natural enamel, which is more noticeable on a front tooth than a back one. Some zirconia crowns are layered with a thin porcelain surface to soften that, which improves appearance and gives up a little strength.
How long it lasts
A systematic review by Sailer and colleagues, published in Dental Materials in 2015, put the estimated five year survival rate of tooth-supported zirconia single crowns at 91.2 percent, with a confidence interval of 82.8 to 95.6 percent. Many patients get considerably longer than five years out of one. Individual results vary.
Best tooth positions for it
Molars and premolars, and any tooth belonging to someone who grinds. Zirconia is also a reasonable compromise on a partly visible tooth where porcelain would be at risk and metal would be too obvious.
3. Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns
A porcelain-fused-to-metal crown, usually shortened to PFM, is built in two layers. A metal shell is made to fit the tooth, and porcelain is baked over the outside of it. It was the standard compromise for decades, and it is still a sound choice in the right position.
What it looks like
From the front, a PFM crown looks like a porcelain crown. The difference shows up at the edges. The metal core blocks light, so the crown lacks the translucency of an all-ceramic one, and it can look slightly flat against neighboring teeth.
The other thing to know is the gum line. Gums recede gradually with age, and when they do, the metal margin at the base of a PFM crown can become visible as a thin dark line. On a back tooth that rarely matters. On a tooth near the front it eventually might.
How long it lasts
PFM crowns are the best documented of the four. The same 2015 Dental Materials systematic review estimated the five year survival rate of metal-ceramic single crowns at 94.7 percent, with a confidence interval of 94.1 to 96.9 percent. That is a longer clinical track record than any of the newer ceramics can show, simply because the material has been in use longer.
Best tooth positions for it
Premolars and molars, and partly visible teeth where strength matters more than a perfect color match. PFM is often the practical answer when a tooth needs to take real force but is not completely hidden.
4. Full-metal and gold crowns
A full-metal crown is cast entirely from a dental alloy, traditionally gold, sometimes a silver colored base metal blend. It is the oldest option on this list and, on the right tooth, still the most sensible one.
What it looks like
Metallic, and it does not pretend otherwise. Gold reads as gold and base metal alloys read as silver. This is the reason full-metal crowns have largely retreated to the back of the mouth rather than the reason they are less capable.
How long it lasts
Metal is the most durable of the four materials under bite force. It does not chip the way ceramic can, because it bends slightly instead of fracturing. It is also gentler on the tooth it bites against, since metal wears opposing enamel less aggressively than hard ceramic does. Ask about the specific alloy at your exam, because durability varies between them.
Best tooth positions for it
Second molars and any tooth right at the back of the mouth, particularly for a patient who grinds. A metal crown also needs less tooth removed to make room for it than a ceramic one, because it can be made thinner and still hold up. Where a tooth is already heavily worn down, that difference is worth having.
What crown materials cost in Phoenix
The Phoenix market range
A dental crown in Phoenix generally runs $800 to $2,500 per tooth. Where a given crown lands in that range depends on the material, which tooth it covers, and how much preparation the tooth needs first. There is more detail on the breakdown in our guide to what a dental crown costs in Phoenix.
Material moves the number less than most people assume. Tooth position, the state of the tooth underneath, and whether any other work is needed first tend to matter more.
What Diamondback charges
Our crown special is $675 per crown, which sits below the bottom of the local range quoted above. It is listed with our other current offers on our current patient specials page. If you are new to the practice, the $19 new patient special covers an exam and X-rays only, and it is the visit where a crown gets assessed in the first place.
Prices vary based on individual case complexity. Request a consultation for an accurate estimate.
How dental insurance handles crowns
Why the annual maximum matters on a crown
Most dental plans cap what they will pay in a calendar year. Per the National Association of Dental Plans, that annual maximum commonly falls between $1,000 and $1,500. A crown is a major restorative procedure, so it draws against that cap harder than a cleaning does, and one crown can consume a large share of a year's benefit on its own.
Two practical consequences follow. If you need more than one crown, timing the second one across a benefit year can matter. And if you have already had significant work done this year, less of the cap may be left than you expect. Our guide to how dental insurance covers treatment in Phoenix goes through how plans are structured.
Carriers we accept and how to verify
We accept most major PPO plans. Coverage levels for crowns differ from plan to plan even within the same carrier, so the only reliable answer comes from checking your specific plan. We verify benefits for you before treatment and file the claim directly.
Two limits are worth stating plainly. We do not accept DeltaCare USA, which is a DHMO product, though other Delta Dental PPO plans are accepted. And we do not accept AHCCCS directly, only through the UnitedHealthcare APIPA contractor.
Insurance and financing
Call (602) 866-8183 to verify your benefits before treatment. Coverage varies by individual plan.
PPO plans we accept
Not accepted
DeltaCare USA and other DHMO, HMO, and capitation plans are not accepted. AHCCCS is accepted only through the UnitedHealthcare APIPA contractor, not directly.
Financing
CareCredit financing is available. You can prequalify with no credit impact, subject to approval.
How to choose your crown material
Three situations cover most of the decisions patients actually face.
If the tooth shows when you smile
Start with porcelain or all-ceramic. Nothing else matches natural enamel as closely, and on a front tooth the color match is the point. Layered zirconia is the fallback if the tooth also takes real force, for instance if you grind at night. Rule out PFM on a front tooth if you are at all concerned about the metal margin becoming visible as gums recede.
If it is a molar or you grind your teeth
Strength leads here, and appearance follows. Zirconia and full metal both handle heavy bite loads well, and metal has the added advantage of needing less tooth removed. If the tooth is completely out of sight, metal is worth serious consideration. If it is a first molar that shows a little when you laugh, zirconia is the better balance.
Tell us if you clench or grind. It changes the recommendation, and it is the single most useful thing a patient can volunteer at the exam.
If cost is the deciding factor
Ask three questions before you decide: what the crown costs, what your plan will cover this benefit year, and whether the tooth genuinely needs full coverage rather than a partial restoration. CareCredit financing can spread the balance, subject to approval. If the tooth is too far gone to save, the comparison changes shape entirely, and our guide comparing implants, bridges, and dentures covers those options.
Sources and references
- American Dental Association, on what a dental crown does and when it is used. MouthHealthy: Crowns
- Sailer I, et al. All-ceramic or metal-ceramic tooth-supported fixed dental prostheses? A systematic review of the survival and complication rates. Part I: Single crowns. Dental Materials, 2015
- Emerging trends and clinical recommendations for zirconia ceramic crowns: a concise review. PubMed Central, 2024
- National Association of Dental Plans, on typical annual maximums in dental benefit plans. NADP
Book an exam and get a written estimate
Picking a crown material is a conversation, not a form. We look at the tooth, talk through the options that fit it, and give you the cost in writing before anything starts. If it has been a while since your last visit, that is okay. Diamondback Dentistry is at 1512 W Bell Rd, Suite C-6, Phoenix, AZ 85023. We are open Monday through Wednesday 8 AM to 4 PM, Thursday 9 AM to 2 PM, and Saturday 8 AM to 1 PM.
Service area
Diamondback Dentistry sees patients from across North Phoenix and the surrounding North Valley, from our office on Bell Road.
Neighborhoods served
- North Phoenix
- Deer Valley
- Peoria
- Moon Valley
- Glendale
ZIP codes in catchment
- 85023
- 85022
- 85021
- 85029
- 85051
- 85027
