Two front teeth - crown/veneer or leave as they are?

ripplyuk

Both of my central incisors have had composite fillings since I was 10yo. They've been replaced over the years and the fillings have got larger each time. Last week, one of them broke badly. It was like it shattered :eek:

Thankfully the dentist saw me right away. He said the filling had came off and took part of the real tooth with it. It wasn't sore at all but looked dreadful. He fixed it with a new composite filling. I'm still too terrified to eat anything except soup but at least I look normal again.

What I'm wondering about is what to do long term with these teeth. I asked the dentist if this filling would last and he said it should but there's no way of knowing how long. He suggested that I could get them both crowned or veneered if I wanted, as they would be stronger. Since it was an emergency appointment, there wasn't time to discuss this in detail.

This filling was cheap. Crowns or veneers will be very expensive. I'm not sure what's best to do, or if I should do anything. Any advice would be appreciated.

McKneff

Go with your dentists suggestion.

ripplyuk

McKneff wrote: »

Go with your dentists suggestion.

He said it's up to me. That's why I'm asking for opinions.

System

I'd decide on how bad the fillings look and how stretched your finances are.

I had my top two teeth crowned when I was 15. I had two small white fillings in between them. With hindsight I wish I hadn't been talked into having them crowned as a 15 year old self conscious young girl they didn't look unsightly or bother me so why did I agree to having them done? Then I got talked into having the two teeth either side done 15 years later as I was told they would match better. Again with hindsight and a bit of wisdom...

I wouldn't have hesitated though if the fillings were unsightly though or spoiled the look of my teeth.

ripplyuk

I think they look ok. I'll never have a Hollywood smile or anything but they look fine to me. I'm more concerned with doing what's best for the long term. These are big fillings now, especially on this recent one it's about two thirds of the whole tooth. I know crowns would be stronger but I've heard bad things about them too.

I'd have to get a loan to afford it, but I'd get the work done if I was sure it was best. I keep reading stories about how crowns didn't fit well and they ended up needing a root canal etc, or they fall off and need replaced, veneers chip easily etc. I want to chose the path of least harm but I'm also worried that if these composite fillings break again, it'll cause real damage next time and won't be repairable.

brook2jack

Every time a drill touches a tooth it shortens the lifespan of that tooth.

The most conservative way of restoring a front tooth is to use white filling as you don't drill away any tooth.

However all that holds a white filling in is glue and like all dental work is never as strong as the original tooth.

There comes a time when a filling is so big it won't hold in for long and that's when is crown is definitely needed.

All crowns need tooth to be drilled away and around 25% of crowned teeth will need root filling because of the damage already done and the drilling required to fix it.

No dental work lasts forever and veneers and crowns will need replacing on a regular basis, each time taking more tooth away.

The other thing is nothing is as strong as your original tooth and if you are managing to break the original tooth you need to be asking your dentist about what steps may need to be taken to stop the damage to.your front teeth. Ie have you back teeth missing that need to be replaced,do you grind your teeth , have you acid problems etc.

justme111

White fillings are not born the same..
I would say the rule of the thumb if done well up to a half of the tooth can both look great and stay for many years. The issue is estimating the ratio of remaining tooth to lost one , in my experience people say "half of the tooth missing!" when there is only like 20% structure lost.
What I would do if I were you - find a dentist who likes working with composite and does it well; they would have before and after pictures. See whether they think filling would be a good option. If so - go for fillings. If not - go for crowns as veneers in my opinion would be a half measure for you with too much tooth structure lost(obviously can not know for sure since I have not seen you).

ripplyuk

Thank you for all the advice. It's very helpful.

These teeth didn't break originally. The fillings were done because they were very slightly discoloured. It wasn't really noticeable but the middle part was a slightly deeper white colour than the edges, if that makes sense? I wasn't bothered about it but the dentist said he could 'make them prettier' and as a stupid 10yo kid, I let him. I didn't know that they wouldn't be as strong or anything. They've been replaced due to the fillings getting discoloured quicker than my natural teeth.

I don't like the thought of even more tooth being drilled away for crowns, but I also find it scary to think there's only a bit of glue holding these fillings in. I guess there's no easy answer to it. I'd just like to be able to bite into a sandwich or something without worrying that my tooth will break off!

teddysmum

The back of one of my first premolars broke away about three years ago and not feeling spending over £200 on one tooth was justified (especially as it isn't a one time fix), had a filling, which came out after a couple of months and had a replacement,which also fell out eventually.


The tooth has no pain and is quite stable, so I've decided to let it be,unless another tooth needs a crown. If it gets bad, I'll have it extracted, but then ,it's not as obvious as a tooth nearer the front (especially for me as the dentist says I have a small mouth).

justme111

Op, there is no guarantee it will not break in anything. Teeth with crowns break as well. If done by someone who 9 knows what they are doing the fillings can stay for 10-20 years with minimal discolouration. It is an incredibly good glue that stays put while being constantly used. Of course crown is more secure but nothing is absolute so it is up to you and dentists you see to get optimal balance for you.

Toothsmith

ripplyuk wrote: »

What I'm wondering about is what to do long term with these teeth. I asked the dentist if this filling would last and he said it should but there's no way of knowing how long. He suggested that I could get them both crowned or veneered if I wanted, as they would be stronger. Since it was an emergency appointment, there wasn't time to discuss this in detail.

What you really need is an appointment to discuss it in detail with the dentist who can see your teeth.

It's all very well us having a guess - but that all it is, a guess.

No-one can give you absolutes,, even the dentist who can see you, but he really would be better placed to advise you on how the pros & cons of each option apply specifically to you.