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Published September 2026

1 of 6A big old filling and a crack. Not enough sound tooth for another filling
  1. A big old filling and a crack. Not enough sound tooth for another filling
  2. Numbed. The tooth is trimmed on every side and the top
  3. A scan or impression records the exact shape of the stub
  4. A temporary crown protects it while the lab makes the real one
  5. The final crown is tried, adjusted, and cemented over the stub
  6. Bites, chews and cleans like a normal tooth

Who usually does it

general dentist. Done in every general office. A prosthodontist handles complex cases.

One question worth asking

Is there a version of this crown my plan covers fully, and what is the difference?

Gold crown, high-noble metal

CrownsUpgradeD2790

D2790. A full metal crown in a gold-based alloy, often chosen for back molars. Some plans call this an optional service or an alternate benefit. The plan pays what the standard version costs. You pay the difference.

A crown is a cap made in a lab or milled in the office that covers the whole tooth above the gum. It is used when a tooth is cracked, heavily filled, or treated with a root canal. Codes differ by material: all-ceramic, porcelain fused to metal, all metal, or resin. A three-quarter crown is the same idea but leaves one healthy wall of the tooth untouched.

The tooth is numbed and trimmed down on all sides, an impression or scan records the shape, and a temporary cap is worn while the lab makes the real one. At the second visit the crown is checked for fit and bite and cemented on. Codes divide by material, and all-ceramic or gold versions are often treated as upgrades over the standard one. Most plans file this as Major. What they actually pay varies by plan.

Codes for this

D2710MajorLab-made resin crownA crown made entirely of resin in a lab, often used as a longer-term temporary.per tooth · Done sometimesD2712MajorLab-made resin three-quarter crownA partial crown that leaves one healthy wall of the tooth untouched, made entirely of resin.per tooth · Rarely doneD2720UpgradeResin crown on high-noble metalA resin (plastic) surface over a gold-based metal base; less durable than porcelain.per tooth · Rarely doneD2721MajorResin crown on base metalA resin surface over non-precious metal.per tooth · Rarely doneD2722UpgradeResin crown on noble metalA resin surface over a partly precious metal.per tooth · Rarely doneD2740MajorAll-ceramic crownThe most common crown today, tooth-colored with no metal, such as zirconia.per tooth · Done oftenD2750UpgradePorcelain crown on high-noble metalPorcelain over a gold-based metal base; plans often pay the base metal rate.per tooth · Done oftenD2751MajorPorcelain crown on base metalPorcelain over a non-precious metal base; the version many plans use as the standard.per tooth · Done oftenD2752UpgradePorcelain crown on noble metalPorcelain over a metal with some precious content; plans often pay the base metal rate.per tooth · Done oftenD2753UpgradePorcelain crown on titaniumPorcelain over a titanium base, for people sensitive to other metals.per tooth · Rarely doneD2780UpgradeThree-quarter crown, high-noble metalA partial crown that leaves one healthy wall untouched, in a gold-based metal.per tooth · Rarely doneD2781MajorThree-quarter crown, base metalA partial crown that leaves one healthy wall untouched, in non-precious metal.per tooth · Rarely doneD2782UpgradeThree-quarter crown, noble metalA partial crown that leaves one healthy wall untouched, in partly precious metal.per tooth · Rarely doneD2783MajorThree-quarter crown, porcelainA tooth-colored partial crown that leaves one healthy wall untouched; the most common three-quarter crown.per tooth · Done sometimesD2790UpgradeGold crown, high-noble metalA full metal crown in a gold-based alloy, often chosen for back molars.per tooth · Done sometimesD2791MajorMetal crown, base metalA full metal crown in a non-precious alloy.per tooth · Done sometimesD2792UpgradeMetal crown, noble metalA full metal crown in a partly precious alloy.per tooth · Done sometimesD2794UpgradeTitanium crownA full metal crown in titanium.per tooth · Rarely doneD2799BasicLong-term temporary crownA lab-made temporary worn for months while the final crown is planned; not the same-day temporary included with a crown.per tooth · Done sometimesD2920BasicRe-cementing a crownGlues a crown that came off back on; no new crown is made.per tooth · Done oftenD2970BasicTemporary crown after a fractureA temporary crown placed to protect a tooth that broke, before the final plan is set.per tooth · Rarely doneD2971MajorFitting a new crown to an existing partial dentureExtra work so a new crown matches the clasp of a partial denture already in use.per tooth · Rarely doneD2975MajorProtective cap (coping)A thin metal or ceramic cap over a prepared tooth, usually under a denture.per tooth · Rarely doneD2980BasicCrown repairRepairs a chipped or cracked crown instead of replacing it.per tooth · Done sometimes

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Gold crown, high-noble metal (D2790): what happens, step by step | TruthMolar