Badly fitted crown or te best to expect?

[ABN]

Whilst I fully understand that detailed advice on specific dental problems cannot really be given without seeing the problem. I will therefore try to give as much info as possible so that the best educated guess/advice can be given.

A few yrs ago I kept getting mild recurring toothache that only lasted a few days at a time. I eventually, about 2 yrs ago, went to my dentist (private) who diagnosed a cracked molar. He did a root filling and told me that the tooth would not last very long and eventually would need to be crowned.

Fast forward to November last year and a quarter of the tooth fell off. So went back to dentist who said that it really needed crowning. This was going to cost around £400 which I couldn’t really spare at the time so asked him to patch it up. He stuck a post in and filled it as best that he could but said that it properly wouldn’t last that long and would need crowning.

Around Christmas half of one of my eye teeth fell off but wasn’t causing any discomfort so left it.

In Jan another large lump of the molar feel off. Thus now looking at £800 for 2 crowns so decided to try to get them done on the NHS.

The NHS didn’t seem to want to do 2 crowns so I had to decide which was more important to me to have crowned. Chose the molar and have the eyetooth filled.

Whilst drilling the molar another large lump fell off. This only left a small stump to attach the crown to so he wasn’t sure as to how strong it would be.

Crown was fitted last week. He said that because the stump was short they could only make a small crown which would have very little chewing functionality. Sure enough the front of the crown doesn’t quite meet the lower tooth. The crown’s profile slopes towards the rear which means there is a very large gap between the rear of the crown and the bottom tooth. Large enough to get my tongue between such that I can even feel the front where it nearly touches.

When eating the tooth quite frankly is totally useless.

Do you think it would it be worth going back and complaining and if so what could he do about it? Or is that the best that I can realistically expect?

He did seem to do quite a good job on the eye tooth.

Sorry for the long post.

[border collie]

I think it will erupt until it is contact with the opposing tooth. Therefore if they have deliberately left it low it will be pointless.

I wonder if you can get another dentist to look at it.

[ABN]

I think it will erupt until it is contact with the opposing tooth.. Not at all sure what you mean by that but sounds kinda worrying.

Had thought about getting a second opinion from another dentist but was not sure could be done:

Finding another NHS dentist that is accepting new patients won’t be that easy.

I assume the second dentist would have to remove the crown in order to see the fixing stump. Since the tooth was weak in the first place a little worried that to much poking around will break the little that’s left.

If the second dentist thinks it’s a poor job and the first stands by his work will have to pay the full amount all over again.

So thinking just to go back to the first and complain. Would however have been nice to have some knowledge so that I could put a stronger case, or at least understand whether his reasons are valid or not.

[tirednewdad]

It is impossible to discuss the tooth without seeing it, to give a definitive answer.

However if a tooth is built up originally so that it is small, then a smaller crown will hold better- as your dentist claimed. The bigger the core (whats left of the tooth after the dentist has shaped it), the stronger the crowned tooth will be and so the reverse is true. If a large crown was placed on a smaller core, the forces that go through the crown are more likely to cause the crown and core to break
- i know that i'm not describing it very well, but what you have had done and the reasons for it match well dentally.

As for the overeruption part- what border collie said was correct, as in most cases, the tooth will erupt until it comes into contact with something. In the majority of cases things will be fine. Sometimes people do get sensitivity related to the newly exposed part of the tooth, which is usually treated with sensitive toothpaste.:o