Superglue Crown or back to Dentist

Debras_Angel

Hi,

Some advice would be welcome please (NHS Patient).

I have a front crown that was done approx 3 years ago, it has fallen out twice now the last one being in July or August can't quite remember.

When I went in August the dentist said that really I should be going for a new crown with a bent type stump as the one I had would just keep falling out again and again (costing £189).

My answer was to just have the crown glued back in again.

Low and behold it's now falling out again, surely it should have lasted longer than a couple of months and why didn't they fit the right one in the first place!

Or could this be a new type?

Also I'm now very tempted to super glue the crown back in myself, do you think this will do me any harm?

Cheers

DEbs

Toothsmith

Debras_Angel wrote:

Also I'm now very tempted to super glue the crown back in myself, do you think this will do me any harm?

Superglue is a cyanoacrylate glue.

The 'cyano' bit means cyanide!!!

Not enough to harm you, but it will severely bu**er up the tooth.

EDIT - sorry - misread your post - I thought you'd had a new crown. New answer is below!


If the dentist has told you that it will fall off again, and then sticks it back on to get you out of trouble, and then it falls off again, the dentist was right!!!!

How can you expect it to last when the dentist has told you it will fall off?

'Fraid it's the new crown for you!

Debras_Angel

Hi Toothsmith

Thanks for this.

But should it have fallen out this many times?

Is there a life expectancy of a crown?

Mind you the crown is fine it's the stump type that the dentist is questioning.


Just realised I might have said the wrong thing...the tooth is fine and attached to the stump or whatever it's called it's the stump that keeps loosening.

Debs

choccyface2006

Hi,

My dad was having the same problem with one of his front teeth, very embarrassing for him especially at work.

He was given a couple of options, (a new crown not being one of them) an implant (about £2000) or a denture (£189) He went for the denture but it very unhappy about it, feels odd, hurts and he just doesn't like having to take it out at night, though it looks okay and stays in place when it has too.

Now I think he will give it a while but I think he is preparing for the fact he might end up having an inplant after all.

Maybe you will have to go down the expenive long term implant route one day?

Sarah

Toothsmith

Life expectancies for dental things are very tricky to give, as the forces and conditions in everyones mouth are not the same.

It's like asking how long a Landrover will last if you don't know if it's going to be used for the school run, or an expedition across the Sahara!

Post crowns (Which is, I think what you're describing) are very unreliable things. They are really the last thing you can do to a tooth before you have to take it out.

Implants are the best way to replace these teeth, but are expensive.

Something like a Maryland bridge is a good, whilst relatively non-invasive way of filling a gap - but not all gaps are suitable. A conventional bridge is also good and cheaper than an implant, but this does damage the tooth or teeth beside the gap.

Lorian

How is an implant actually implanted?

Toothsmith

In short, a flap of gum is taken back, and a hole is drilled into the bone.

First of all, you need to make sure the bone is of good enough qualiy for it (good hard dense bone is best, fragile 'balsa wood' type bone is bad), and you have to be sure no important structures like sinuses or nerves are in the way.

The hole needs to be drilled at exactly the right angle for the tooth which will be put onto it.

Something that looks a bit like a screw is then put into the hole, and secured in place. A healing cap is placed over that, and the gum replaced.

For the next 6 months it just sits there whilst new bone forms around it, and secures it in place.

After that 6 months, the healing cap can be removed, and a crown made to fit into the implant.

It is a fair bit more complicated than all that, but that is a reasonable description of it.

dora37

I have had 5 implants fitted in the last few months - I am now in the healing stage (as Toothsmith described) - hoping to have the crowns attached early next year..........very expensive!!

What I didn't realise until the first one was done is that it is like having minor surgery...the dentist and assistants were all togged up and the equipment was sterilised and covered etc......having said that my dentist made an excellent job and only had a few days of discomfort.

For all the stick that dentists get and all the money I have paid mine (private) - mine is fabulous...I hadn't been for years, my teeth were a mess at the begining of the year..broken teeth,gaps,roots in gums,absesses etc and I was really worried (and embarrased about going) but he took his time and over many months and many, many appointments got my mouth into the healthy stable condition that allowed me to have implants and not once did I feel judged......having said that i have probably paid for his hols for the next few years!!

Going private with this particular dentist was the best thiing I did!

Lorian

Toothsmith wrote:

In short, a flap of gum is taken back, and a hole is drilled into the bone.

That doesn't sound too scary. I might go for that. I had visions of an incision from outside in the bottom of the jaw for them to put the nut on!

Would all dentists do this, or would they refer me to someone else? (I'd prefer it be done by someone who does the procedure all day every day).

Sorry for threadjacking.

Toothsmith

It varies.

More and more dentists are doing them, but most dentists that do, would only be qualified and experienced enough to do simple ones.

More complex ones, in harder areas, should be referred.

Have a word with your dentist - it's not in his interest to mess anybody up!!!! If he say's he can do it, it will only be because he feels confident enough to do it.

Otherwise he will refer.

I don't do them!