Porcelain (lithium disilicate) crown
A glass ceramic with excellent translucency, the usual choice for front teeth and premolars where appearance leads.
From £995
Restorative dentistry · Wimpole Street, Marylebone
Dental crowns in Marylebone: holding a weakened tooth together for the long term
A crown is a made-to-measure cap that covers the whole of a tooth above the gum. It is the treatment of choice when a tooth has lost so much of itself to decay, fracture or an old filling that a new filling would simply split it further, and it is what protects a back tooth after root canal treatment. The trade-off is that a crown needs room, so a millimetre or so of tooth is trimmed all the way round to make space for it. At Wimpole Street crowns start at £995 in porcelain and £1,195 in zirconia, made by a laboratory technician from a scan of the prepared tooth, and we will suggest an onlay instead whenever enough of the tooth survives to make that the more conservative choice.
- From £995
- 2 visits, about 2 weeks apart
- Long-term: typically 10–15+ years
Suitability
Is it right for you?
A good fit when
- A back tooth that has cracked, or where a large filling occupies more than half the biting surface.
- Any molar or premolar that has had root canal treatment; without a crown these teeth fracture at a high rate.
- A tooth broken close to the gum where there is still enough root and core to build on.
- An old metal-ceramic crown with a dark margin or chipped porcelain that you want replaced.
- A single discoloured or misshapen tooth where a veneer would be too thin to hide the problem.
Think twice, or choose another route, when
- A small to moderate cavity; a white filling or onlay saves far more tooth.
- Cosmetic changes to otherwise sound front teeth, where a veneer or bonding does the job with a fraction of the enamel loss.
- A tooth with too little structure remaining above the gum and no scope for crown lengthening or a post; extraction may be the honest answer.
- Active gum disease around the tooth, which needs treating before a margin is placed near the gum.
- Unassessed grinding: a crown placed into a heavy clench without a night guard is at risk of fracture.
The process
How it works at Wimpole Street
- 01
Assessment
A radiograph shows whether the nerve is healthy and the root sound, and how much tooth is left. We discuss whether a crown, an onlay or a filling is the right level of intervention, choose a material and give you the written fee.
- 02
Preparation
Under local anaesthetic the tooth is reduced by roughly one to one and a half millimetres on all surfaces. Old filling material and any decay are removed and, if the core is weak, a bonded build-up is placed first. A digital scan or impression records the shape.
- 03
Temporary crown
A resin temporary is made at the chair and cemented with a weak cement. It protects the tooth, holds the space and lets you test how the bite feels for the two weeks the laboratory needs.
- 04
Laboratory work
The technician designs and mills or presses the crown from the chosen ceramic, matches the shade to photographs and finishes the surface texture by hand.
- 05
Fitting
The temporary comes off, the crown is tried in and the contacts with neighbouring teeth and the bite are refined. Once you are happy with the look and feel it is cemented or bonded, excess is cleared and a final radiograph confirms the margin is sealed.
- 06
Review
We check the crown at your next examination. Slight sensitivity can persist for a few weeks; anything sharper than that, or a high spot in the bite, is adjusted promptly.
Choices
Options & materials
Zirconia crown
The strongest tooth-coloured option, suited to molars and to patients who grind. Modern multilayer zirconia is far less opaque than the early versions.
From £1,195
Metal-ceramic crown
A metal shell layered with porcelain. Long track record and very durable, but the metal can show as a grey line at the gum over time.
From £995
Fees
What it costs
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
Porcelain crown Preparation, temporary, laboratory fee and fitting. | From £995 |
Zirconia crown Milled monolithic or layered zirconia. | From £1,195 |
Core build-up Where the remaining tooth needs rebuilding before preparation. | Quoted per case |
Root canal treatment, if required £695 front tooth, £795 premolar, £895 molar. | From £695 |
Night guard Advised for grinders and clenchers. | From £185 |
New patient examination Introductory rate; the usual fee is £95. | £30 |
Indicative Wimpole Street fees, the same as at South Kensington and St Paul's. A written plan with the exact figure is agreed before anything is started.
Outcomes
What the result looks like
A well-fitted crown disappears into the mouth. On a back tooth the aim is a shape that chews efficiently, meets the opposing tooth evenly and lets floss pass cleanly at the gum. On a front tooth the shade and translucency at the edge are matched to the neighbours from photographs.
Longevity depends on the material, the tooth beneath and how the mouth is used. Porcelain crowns typically serve ten to fifteen years, metal-ceramic fifteen to twenty and zirconia longer still. Those are averages; a crown on a heavily root-filled molar in a grinder may not reach ten.
Afterwards
Looking after the result
- Avoid chewing on the temporary side and steer clear of sticky foods until the final crown is in.
- Once fitted, brush and floss the crowned tooth as you would any other, paying attention to the margin at the gum.
- Expect mild sensitivity to temperature for a few weeks. If biting is sharp or the crown feels high, come back for an adjustment.
- Wear a night guard if one has been recommended; most ceramic fractures happen during sleep.
- Attend six-monthly examinations so the margin is checked on radiographs every few years.
Informed consent
Risks and honest limitations
Every treatment has trade-offs. These are the ones we discuss at the consultation so that a decision is made with full information rather than after the fact.
- Irreversible preparation. Roughly a fifth of the tooth is removed to fit a crown, and that tooth will always need one. This is why we suggest an onlay whenever it is feasible.
- Nerve damage. Around five to ten per cent of crowned teeth that were vital at the time later need root canal treatment through the crown.
- Fracture or chipping under heavy load. A chip on zirconia can often be polished; a fractured porcelain crown usually means a remake.
- Decay at the margin, where plaque collects. It can undermine the crown unnoticed unless radiographs are taken periodically.
- Sensitivity, which usually settles within weeks; a tooth that was already inflamed may become painful and need root treatment.
- Colour match. Ceramic does not change shade, so if you whiten your natural teeth later the crown will not follow.
FAQ
Questions patients ask
If the outer walls of the tooth are intact and only the top is damaged, an onlay covers the damaged part and leaves the rest alone. If the walls are thin or cracked, or the tooth has been root-treated, a crown wrapping the whole tooth gives the protection it needs.
A local anaesthetic is given first, so what you notice is vibration and pressure rather than pain. A tooth that was already inflamed may ache for a day or two afterwards.
Ten to fifteen years is a fair expectation for porcelain and longer for zirconia and metal-ceramic. Grinding, decay at the margin and the state of the tooth beneath decide whether a given crown beats or falls short of that.
For front teeth, lithium disilicate porcelain for its light-handling. For molars, zirconia for strength, particularly if you grind. Metal-ceramic remains a sound middle ground.
Only if the nerve is already dying or the tooth has been root-treated in the past. A healthy nerve is left alone, though there is a small chance a crowned tooth will need root treatment later.
Keep it, do not glue it yourself, and ring us. It can often be re-cemented if the tooth beneath is sound.
Yes. Preparation can be done at South Kensington or St Paul’s and the crown fitted in Marylebone once we open on 1 October 2026, or the whole treatment completed at either sister clinic at the same fee.
Marylebone, W1
Dental crowns at Wimpole Street from 1 October 2026
Register your interest and we will contact you as soon as the Marylebone diary is live. If you would rather start sooner, the same clinicians already see patients in South Kensington and at St Paul’s.
Opening 1 October 2026
Wimpole Street is not yet seeing patients. Until then, please book or call our South Kensington clinic on 020 7183 2362 or our St Paul's clinic on 020 7183 3709. Questions about the new clinic: wimpolestreet@md.co.uk.
Until we open
Need an appointment before 1 October 2026?
The same clinical team already works from two other Medical & Dental clinics. Book at either one now and, if you prefer, move your ongoing care to Wimpole Street once the doors open.
South Kensington
- 20 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3DL
- Open seven days a week
- 020 7183 2362
St Paul's, City of London
- 5 Ave Maria Lane, London EC4M 7AQ
- Open Monday to Friday
- 020 7183 3709
