These are two answers to two different questions. A crown asks: can we save this tooth? An implant asks: how do we replace it? The price difference between those answers is measured in thousands of dollars — which is exactly why it's worth understanding how the decision gets made before anyone picks up a drill.
What each one actually is
A crown is a cap that covers and protects your own tooth. The root stays in your jaw; the natural tooth structure underneath stays alive and working. If a lot of the tooth is missing, the dentist rebuilds the missing part first (a core buildup), then seats the crown over it.
An implant replaces the entire tooth. The damaged tooth is extracted, a titanium post is placed in the jawbone, the bone heals around it over several months, and then an implant crown is attached to the post. It's excellent, proven dentistry — for teeth that genuinely can't be saved.
The cost difference is not small
| Crown (save the tooth) | Implant (replace the tooth) | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical Utah total | $1,000 – $1,800 most offices $799 flat at our office | $3,500 – $6,000+ (implant + abutment + crown) |
| Possible extras | Root canal first, if the nerve is involved | Extraction, bone graft, sinus lift |
| Timeline | As little as 24 hours | 3 – 9 months, multiple visits |
| Insurance | Usually ~50% covered | Coverage varies widely; many plans cover little of the implant itself |
| Your natural tooth | Kept | Removed |
A general rule that has guided dentistry for a long time: nothing we make is better than the tooth you grew. When a tooth can be predictably saved, saving it is usually the cheaper, faster, and biologically better option.
When a crown can save the tooth
- The root is healthy — or fixable with a root canal.
- Enough structure remains, or can be rebuilt. A broken corner, a cracked cusp, a tooth that's mostly old filling — these are routinely rebuilt with a core buildup and crowned.
- The crack hasn't gone below the gumline. Depth matters; this is what the exam and X-rays determine.
When an implant really is the right call
Some teeth are gone before they're extracted, and pretending otherwise wastes your money on a crown that will fail. An implant is usually the honest recommendation when there's:
- A fracture extending well below the gumline, or a vertical root fracture,
- A failed root canal that can't be predictably retreated,
- Severe decay that leaves too little sound tooth to build on, or
- Advanced bone loss around the tooth.
If that's your situation, get the implant. We'll tell you so to your face — a crown placed on a doomed tooth helps nobody.
The gray zone — and why second opinions matter
Plenty of teeth sit between those extremes, and restorability is a judgment call. Dentists differ — in skill with buildups, in equipment, and frankly in incentives, since an implant bills several times what a crown does. We regularly see patients who were told a tooth was hopeless and needed an implant, where a buildup and crown saved it for a fraction of the price. One of our Google reviews says it plainly:
If your tooth isn't an emergency, a second exam before an extraction costs you almost nothing — and can save you $3,000 or more if the tooth turns out to be crownable.
Told you need an implant? Let's look first.
The exam and X-rays are included in our $799 flat fee — and if the tooth truly can't be saved, we'll tell you that too. We've placed thousands of crowns since 2006.
Common questions
Is a crown or an implant cheaper?
A crown, by a wide margin. Saving the tooth is $799 flat at our office; replacing it with an implant typically totals $3,500–$6,000 in Utah once the implant, abutment, and implant crown are added up.
Does insurance cover implants?
It varies a lot. Crowns are usually covered around 50% as a major procedure; many plans cover little or none of the implant post itself. Check your specific plan — or text us your card and we'll check for you.
Will a crown on a rebuilt tooth last?
A properly case-selected buildup and crown is a durable, well-proven restoration. And ours carry a replacement guarantee — if the crown ever breaks, we replace it, no questions asked.
What if I need a root canal too?
Then the root canal is treated first and the crown goes on after — that's a separate procedure with its own fee, and we'll lay out the full picture at the exam before anything starts. No surprises is the whole point of how we run.