Very large filling or crown.

[Deleted User]

If a dentist here can help by giving any information it will be really appreciated. I have made a dental appointment (NHS) because a large filling and part of large lower molar tooth has come out.

My last NHS crown (upper molar) has a very dark ring all around where the crown meets the gum - it's been like this since it was fitted although the ring is almost black now. I asked my dentist about this and was told it was to make it easier to clean. If I smile you can see this ugly dark ring at the gum.

I have regular NHS dental checks and needed no treatment recently. If my tooth cannot be filled and a crown is advised would having a 'private' crown avoid this dark ring at the gum? If a large filling is possible I would be glad to pay for a white filling if this is advised - to avoid a large 'silver' filling. My dentist is lovely although I really dread having the same unsightly dark ring at my gum again - if a crown is necessary.

If there are any other alternatives, and a dentist here can suggest anything, I'll be able to ask my dentist when I go later this week.

Many thanks.

Crimson

System

[Deleted User]

MatthewAinsworth wrote: »

.... Folks have said I'm inclined to be a bit 'slow on the uptake' MatthewAinsworth - but what does your post mean, please?

Crimson

atolaas

I think it means a crown for your head rather than your tooth.

teddysmum

My left front upper molar disintegrated two years ago, when its filling fell out, and I was advised to have a crown,but couldn't justify paying over £200 for one tooth, for vanity, so went for the larger filling option. It fell out, as did it's replacement, so I've let it be as it is pain free and the front of the tooth is quite solid.


I now have another filled tooth with a small part broken off, so if that becomes uncomfortable I'll have a couple of crowns done,as £100 per tooth isn't so bad.


I didn't realise that they had dark rings round them, thnking they would look like a normal tooth

[Deleted User]

teddysmum wrote: »

My left front upper molar disintegrated two years ago, when its filling fell out, and I was advised to have a crown,but couldn't justify paying over £200 for one tooth, for vanity, so went for the larger filling option. It fell out, as did it's replacement, so I've let it be as it is pain free and the front of the tooth is quite solid.


I now have another filled tooth with a small part broken off, so if that becomes uncomfortable I'll have a couple of crowns done,as £100 per tooth isn't so bad.


I didn't realise that they had dark rings round them, thnking they would look like a normal tooth

Thank you teddysmum. A lìttle bit of tooth has fallen out now as well as the actual filling so it does not sound good. Because of the visible dark ring in the previous crown at the gum, unless strongly advised against it, I'm inclined to hope for another (white this time) filling. From what you describe though it may not work.

I'll see what the dentist says although I hoped maybe a dentist here had some up to date suggestions or options for me to think about before my appointment. I know it is holiday time and a lot of people will be away just now. Like you, and so far, there is no pain - but a big ragged hole.

I'm trying to be positive - At least it didn't happen just before a wedding or other special occasion.

Thank you again teddysmum.

Crimson

Toothsmith

It's very hard to suggest anything when all there is to go on is just a patient's written description of what's happened.

It might fill again, it might crown. There might be all sorts of other things that might be wrong with it, needing more involved treatments, or it might be really simple.

It's not just a case of being able to see that tooth - It's knowing what's going on in the rest of your mouth, what seems to have worked before for you, and what hasn't. We really can't tell you anything useful without knowing exactly what is happening to you - certainly nothing that would take priority over what a dentist who has seen you recommends as the 'best' way forwards.

[Deleted User]

Toothsmith wrote: »

It's very hard to suggest anything when all there is to go on is just a patient's written description of what's happened.

It might fill again, it might crown. There might be all sorts of other things that might be wrong with it, needing more involved treatments, or it might be really simple.

It's not just a case of being able to see that tooth - It's knowing what's going on in the rest of your mouth, what seems to have worked before for you, and what hasn't. We really can't tell you anything useful without knowing exactly what is happening to you - certainly nothing that would take priority over what a dentist who has seen you recommends as the 'best' way forwards.

Thank you very much for replying - I really appreciate it. I'm hoping my dental health is OK otherwise as I attend every six months and everything was fine in April.

Because of my last NHS crown with the permanent dark ring at the gum, and because I suspect I may need a very large filling or crown this time, I wondered if there was anything I could think about in advance to ask about at my appointment - anything beneficial even if not available through the NHS. You mentioned more involved treatments and I am interested and hope to keep my tooth if at all possible.

Thank you again for replying.

Crimson

GlasweJen

Disclaimer: I'm not a dentist, I'm not even remotely a dentist.

I did have a playground accident as a child and chipped off about a third of my front tooth. The dentist left it a few years (earning me the nickname "chip") and put a crown on it when I went to high school.

The crown looked like a normal tooth, just bright white and fake looking but better than a huge chip. The crown started to turn grey, weird! I saw the dentist who fitted it, a few other NHS dentists as a student and even a private dentist through my work, no one wanted to touch this crown.

Eventually (nearly 20 years later) my sister (dental nurse) got her dentist boss to look at it. He was like why do you have such a huge front tooth. So we took off the crown (knowing there was a risk of tooth loss) and long story short my crown was too big and bacteria had got in, erroded a huge chunk of my gum that I couldn't brush due to this huge crown and had colonised my tooth, the smell was horrific! The grey was decay, I lost more of my tooth preparing it for the new crown (and in the process discovered my tooth was somehow still alive).

The new crown is at least 4 years old and no grey! I've seen another dentist since then and he said it's a good job and we're having no problems at all except I'm paranoid about cleaning the gum around it.