Dental Question – Crown advice needed

Billieblob

Don't do it!

Why do your teeth 'need' crowning?

If they are simply worn then there are far more conservative methods of restoring them. How much tooth tissue has been lost at what rate and what is the cause? Are the teeth already restored (filled)?

Crowning otherwise healthy teeth is very destructive of irreplacable tooth tissue and I avoid doing it to my patients unless all other avenues have failed.

Try googling 'direct composite worn dentition' or some such to see what can be done without such a high financial and biological cost.

brook2jack

Billieblob, you cannot say don't do it if you cant see the person, their teeth, their x rays and know their dental history.

It may be a minor wear problem best sorted out by minimal composite filling (White fillings) or it may be a problem with heavily restored /worn teeth in an area of high wear.

In short only someone who can actually see the teeth can say which is why it is so important to trust the dentist and if you don't change dentists looking for a new one on personal recommendation.

Crowns are needed for many reasons, there are many types and their success depends on many factors eg how good is your oral care and diet regime, how much tooth is left and in what condition, how good was the clinical work.

Some crowns eg ones on root filled teeth held on by posts can and do come out and have a much shorter lifespan than a crown on a live tooth where there is plenty of tooth for the crown to hang on. So asking for opinions about crowns is a bit meaningless because you can be comparing person a with one crown and excellent diet and cleaning habits and a crown on a live tooth to person b who has multiple crowns on root filled teeth with a very poor diet and cleaning regime and multiple missing teeth!

System

I have 5 crowns and would say unless your teeth are of major concern to you dont do it.

My first 2 crowns were done at the age of 16. I was told that the tiny white filling i had in between my top two teeth would look better if they were crowned. To be honest, i was young, looked after my teeth (we didnt have fluoride in the water when i was growing up) and yes i did have a few fillings. Cant say that this tiny white filling made me self concious though so i had the crowns.

Then about 15 years later my crowns needed replacing and i was persuaded by my dentist to have the teeth either side of my crowns crowned as they would match better. Again, like a fool i agreed to it even though i wasnt aware and certainly wasnt bothered that they didnt match perfectly.

About 5 years ago i had a crumbling back tooth crowned (this i have no problem with).

I really wish that i had stuck to my guns and left my teeth alone as its going to cost an arm and a leg to get them replaced. At the moment all is well and i have xrays every few years to check they are ok but i know one day they will need replacing (and my dentist doesnt give you happy gas anymore ). Not only are they expensive the temporary crowns ive had fitted in the past are awful and ive hidden myself away for the period of time its took to have my new teeth made.

I'm very fortunate, ive got a good relationship with my dentist and the last set of crowns he had made for me are very natural and blend in perfectly but i still wish i'd left well alone.

Not only that, if your a fan of whitening products for your teeth they dont work on crowned teeth (so i was told).

Do whats best for you.

Mrs_Arcanum

Had 4 NHS crowns at 17 due to a double abscess. These were finally replaced 18 years later also NHS with one extra. At the time I was one of the last to still get so many totally free on the NHS. 16 years later I still have all but one of these plus one new one. DS decided to head-butt me in the mouth when he was 18 months old so I lost one. Now have a plate for this one & some back teeth. Dentist is very pleased with my oral care now & haven't needed any dental work done for 5 years.

However, in your situation I would see what alternatives there are such as veneers or such like before going through having crowns done.

Billieblob

brook2jack wrote: »

Billieblob, you cannot say don't do it if you cant see the person, their teeth, their x rays and know their dental history.

It may be a minor wear problem best sorted out by minimal composite filling (White fillings) or it may be a problem with heavily restored /worn teeth in an area of high wear.

In short only someone who can actually see the teeth can say which is why it is so important to trust the dentist and if you don't change dentists looking for a new one on personal recommendation.

Crowns are needed for many reasons, there are many types and their success depends on many factors eg how good is your oral care and diet regime, how much tooth is left and in what condition, how good was the clinical work.

Some crowns eg ones on root filled teeth held on by posts can and do come out and have a much shorter lifespan than a crown on a live tooth where there is plenty of tooth for the crown to hang on. So asking for opinions about crowns is a bit meaningless because you can be comparing person a with one crown and excellent diet and cleaning habits and a crown on a live tooth to person b who has multiple crowns on root filled teeth with a very poor diet and cleaning regime and multiple missing teeth!

Thank you Brook2jack.

Would you prefer the statement: 'Don't do it until you have explored the rationale and alternatives behind the treatment plan and are in a position to give valid consent'?

I believe the caveats after my initial statement implied the need for further assessment.:beer:

geoffky

I had a crown done in japan 25 years ago and it still looks great and only my wife knows its there..I think it will last for many more years..its my upper front and you would notice if it was a bad one..

cef66

Hi last year I had a root canal and crown on a back tooth after a lot of pain. I went private for the root canal as I wanted an expert to do it, someone who specialised in that area of dentistry and then went back to my normal dentist and had a crown on the NHS.
Anyway for my private treatment I went to the Latchford and Latchford practise on Castle Road / Rothsay Gardens in Bedford and they were excellent. Obviously you pay for the initial consultation but my experience was that they were very thorough and outlined the pros and cons and all the costs involved. I would recommend them and will be using them again, if the need arises. (If I could afford it I would go to them for everything.) Maybe worth a phone call !