I am wondering if I need a new dentist. I had to have two dental crowns placed and they’ve both fallen off twice. This dentist is super fast at doing the tooth prep and placement of the crown. I am not exaggerating in the least when I say that the tooth is prepped in about ten seconds. While I was happy with that at first, now I am wondering if he did it too fast and maybe took off too much tooth structure. There is hardly any of the tooth left and I wonder if that might be why they are falling off. Should I look for a new dentist? I can’t afford dental implants if these won’t stay on so I’m not sure where to go from here.
Carol
Dear Carol,
Sometimes, there is so much damage to a tooth that there isn’t much left and it can make your dental crown difficult to keep on. That being said, most dentists go their entire careers without a crown falling off. While there is not a guarantee with any dental procedure, there is such a thing as basic standard of care. It sounds like your dentist rushes through his procedure. The best dentists will make sure they do what they can to achieve the best result possible. That doesn’t mean you have to go to a slow dentist. Just one who is skilled and attentive to the details.
The first thing I am going to recommend you do is see another dentist for a second opinion. Have him look at the crown preparation. One of the main reasons that a crown will have trouble staying on is if the prepared tooth has too much taper to it.
That does not mean the crown has to fail. Even with a poorly prepared crown, there are ways to modify the preparation. Some dentists will use retentive grooves. Others will use a buildup or even pins to help the crown stay on better.
When you go in for your second opinion, make sure it is a blind second opinion. This means you won’t tell the dentist who did your dental crown. This is important because the dental world is a small world and it is very likely they will know each other or may even be friends. You wouldn’t want him feeling torn about”ratting out” a friend. If he doesn’t know who did the work, there won’t be any feelings of guilt. He can give you his honest, unbiased opinion.
It may also be time to look for a new dentist.
This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.