dental crowns Archives - Drake & Wallace Dentistry

Dentist Doesn’t Believe I Have a Titanium Allergy

Posted on November 17, 2025 by writeradmin.

I had extensive allergy testing done and it turns out I am allergic to quite a few metals including titanium. I’ve been having a dull ache in a tooth that has a dental crown and now I’m wondering if is because of this allergy. It may be that I have a titanium post in the crown. I spoke to my dentist and he blew me off saying that no one has a titanium allergy and I probably went to some wacko naturopath doctor who told me what I wanted to hear. So, is he right? Are there really no titanium allergies? I don’t know what the belief system is of the allergist I went to see, but she was an allergist. What do I do about this ache?

Andrea

Dear Andrea,

Woman holding her jaw in pain.

I’m going to say up front that I don’t think you are with the best dentist. I don’t like how he blew off your concerns, especially when you factor in what a jerk he was about it. While a titanium allergy is extremely rare, I don’t think it is okay to say that no one has an allergy. The human body is quite unpredictable sometimes.

There is a MELISA test for metal allergies which has been criticized for giving false positives, but that doesn’t mean that all the positives are false. Also, he could have easily answered your question.

Can an allergy lead to a dull ache in your tooth? Yes. I would check a couple of things. First, the only reason a dental crown would have a post in it is if it also had a root canal treatment. If it did, your dentist can provide you with the details of what the post is made of. If it is made from something your allergy report said that you were allergic to you can tell him it needs to be replaced.

If you don’t have a post or it isn’t made from any material you are allergic to, then I would look at the type of crown he provided you. If it is a metal based crown, that could be causing the sensitivity. He can switch the crown. Sometimes dentists will tell you that you need a metal based crown on a back tooth. That used to be true, but now we have zirconia crowns, which are strong enough for a back tooth.

If you have trouble getting your dentist to cooperate, I recommend you see a dentist that would be more open to what you are going through, such as a holistic dentist or a metal-free dentist. Your current dentist is ethically obligated to provide them with all your records, including his own treatment notes.

This blog is brought to you by compassionate dentists in Decatur, Drs. Drake and Wallace.

My Dentist Messed Up and Gave Me a Dental Emergency

Posted on July 12, 2024 by writeradmin.

I had a crown put on a tooth to straighten the look of a tooth that was slanted because I was a thumb sucker as a child. I want to stress that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the tooth. It was completely healthy when this process started. A few weeks later, the tooth became very sensitive to temperatures. Anything hot or cold would cause some pain. I called the dentist and he told me this was perfectly normal in the first few weeks. Within a few months the tooth was hurting so bad that I went to the ER. They pretty much just gave me some ibuprofen, told me to see a dentist, and sent me on my way. The next morning, I woke up with my cheek swollen and in massive pain. I missed two days of work before I could even get an appointment with a dentist.

She took some x-rays and showed me that I have a massive infection and need a root canal treatment. She also showed me that this is likely because I have open margins. Margins she felt were very large. Now I have to have a root canal treatment as well as another crown. Plus, I’ve missed tons or work and have to pay for an ER appointment. All of which I would not have needed had my dentist done this correctly. Is there any way to recoup some of this money? I know the time is gone and there is nothing I can do about its loss, but I would like for my original dentist to at LEAST give me a refund, though I’d prefer they pay for the needed treatment because they caused it. I’m actually still paying for his crown. However, when I called the office to ask for a refund, they insisted me getting an infection was my own responsibility and I should have been better with my oral care.

Carmella

Dear Carmella,

I need to qualify this with the fact that I have not examined you or seen the x-rays. However, based on what you described it does sound like your dentist has violated the standard of care and you are entitled to getting these additional costs dealt with, though a refund may be a more likely goal.

There are a few ways to go about this.
1. You could of course try for a malpractice case, but they rarely pay enough to justify the time investment. Whenever you are going before a court, you will need an expert witness to testify that this was negligence. You already have a dentist with x-rays, so if you can ensure her cooperation, you may have a case. I can’t guarantee you’d win, nor that it will be worth your time, but you can discuss it with a couple of lawyers and see what they think. Some things going in your favor is that it led to a dental emergency, lost work, and additional expenses in the form of ER bills, root canal, and a new crown. Plus you’ve had a fair bit of agony.
2. You can threaten to go to the dental board. Most dentists do not want to deal with that, so it might be worth it to them to make this right.
3. See if the second dentist would be willing to call the first dentist and verify that there was a problem with the work. Sometimes, hearing from a peer can spur a dentist to make things right to save their reputation.
4. Let them know that if they don’t make it right, you will be leaving a warning to other patients on the review sites of what to expect if they go there for treatment.
5. See if a lawyer will write a threatening letter on official letterhead. This is cheaper than a lawsuit, but may convince them you’re willing to go to court and they would be better off to settle.

One of these should help you get that refund.
This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.
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Be Careful! Some Dental “Insurance” Is Actually a Marketing Scheme

Posted on July 20, 2023 by writeradmin.

Can you advise me. I’m writing to you because you are not in my area, so won’t be in my network. I joined the Colonial Dental Plan in order to get a discount on my smile makeover. I have a porcelain crown that needs to be replaced, so I’m looking for someone who can do crowns and veneers. There looks to be 11 dentists on my plan who advertise as doing porcelain veneers. I can save $300 per veneer with them. I’m having trouble figuring out which of them is the best to go to. Do you have any advice for me?

Kelly

Dear Kelly,

Be careful here. There are so many cosmetic dentistry horror stories from people who, like you, tried to save money on dental care with these insurance plans. This is more true when it comes to cosmetic work, where these end up being more of a marketing scheme than anything else. It generally works like this. A sales representatvie from the “insurance” company goes to a dentist who has way too many empty chairs and promises to fill those chairs if he agrees to give some discounts and free cleanings.

You won’t see many excellent cosmetic dentists agreeing to this because they use top of the line materials and have invested in post-doctoral training in order to do this with skill and artistry. Those dentists do not have trouble filling their seats.

Of course, it is always possible that one of the dentists on the list knows what he is doing. I would start by looking at their smile gallery, which is a sort of brag book of the different cosmetic cases they have done. If they don’t have a smile gallery, then don’t let them near your smile makeover. They will not know what they’re doing. If they do, make sure the results are stunning. If they are, take the extra precaution of calling the office and having them confirm that these are cases the dentist has actually done himself and not stock photos of someone else’s work.

In all honesty, you will probably be better off just having your teeth whitened, which any dentist can do correctly, and replace the crown. If the crown is on a front tooth, pay for a great cosmetic dentist to do that one procedure and save up to have the porcelain veneers done correctly later. Too many patients discovered too late that there is a differece between affordable dentistry and cheap dentistry.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Finding the Best Dentist for Teeth Whitening

Posted on May 22, 2023 by writeradmin.

I finally have money to improve my smile and want to start by getting my teeth whitened. I heard that you have to be very careful when choosing a cosmetic dentist. Do you have any advice for me when it comes to finding the best dentist for teeth whitening?

Carmen A.

Dear Carmen,

Professional Teeth Whitening Trays

It is great that you know to be careful with cosmetic dentistry. This is mostly relevant when you are talking about very advanced procedures such as porcelain veneers or dental bonding. In those cases, it makes sense to seek out the best dentist. Teeth whitening, however, is a little different. Just about any dentist can do it. Occassionally, I run into a question by someone whose dentist was confused about how it worked, but it would be hard to damage your smile with it.

Some Things to be Aware of with Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening will ONLY work on natural tooth structure. They will not work on things like dental crowns, etc. If you need dental work whitened they have to be replaced. The recommendation is that you whiten your teeth first and then replace the dental crown so this way you are matching it to the new, brighter color.
Teeth whitening works evenly. If you have brown spots or white spots on your teeth, this is not the fix. It will uniformly whiten your teeth which tends to make the spots more visible. If this is something you are dealing with, let us know and we can advise you on the best course of action.
There are different types of teeth whitening. With at home professional whitening, you can control the amount of brightness your teeth get. You simply wear the bleaching trays at a convenient time to you until you reach the level of whiteness you desire. Some dentists offer in-office whitening where you sit under a light and get your teeth bleached right there. It’s fast and effective, but you don’t control how white they get.

My suggestion is to talk to your dentist about your goals and see what he offers. If he doesn’t do teeth whitening, it is perfectly acceptable to stay with your dentist for your general care needs, but go elsewhere for your cosmetic needs. Be aware that you will need to have adone a recent cleaning appointment, otherwise the results can be splotchy.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Should I Have an Oral Surgeon Do This Extraction?

Posted on March 4, 2022 by writeradmin.

Two years ago, I had a filling come out. I do have a substantial fear of the dentist. I didn’t do anything about it. Eventually, the tooth became infected, which I guess I should have expected. Then, when I could bear the pain no longer I went to see a dentist. He told me I needed a root canal treatment, which I did. However, I didn’t follow up and schedule an appointment to get the dental crown. Neither did the dentist, which suited me just fine. After a bit, the tooth broke and now it is infected again. I just need to get it extracted at this point. Should I go to an oral surgeon so I can be put under anesthesia?

Laurence

Dear Laurence,

I am sorry for all the pain and trauma you have experienced. While you can go to an oral surgeon, not only is it expensive, but it is completely unnecessary. In addition, it will only solve your problem in the short term. Dental anxiety can get very expensive. The good news is I have a great solution for you. What you need to find is a sedation dentist.

In most cases, just some nitrous oxide before your treatment is enough to relax you. This will definitely suit you for your normal maintenance. However, in your situation, including the level of anxiety and the invasive nature of your procedure, I am going to suggest you see someone who offers oral conscious sedation. This is administered with a pill but is strong enough that you likely sleep through your procedure. Some patients even call it sleep dentistry. This will allow you to get your tooth extracted at a fraction of the cost.

Even better, you will finally be able to have a pain-free dental appointment. This is a life changer for many patients who suffer from dental anxiety. You’ll find that you’ll save a lot of money and pain in the future as well. Knowing you can have a pain-free appointment will make it easier for you to go on a regular basis. Maintained teeth do not get as many cavities. Treating cavities early is cheaper than a crown. A crown is cheaper than a root canal treatment. A root canal treatment is cheaper than a tooth extraction.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentist Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Bleeding Between My Two Front Crowns

Posted on January 7, 2022 by writeradmin.

I had six dental crowns placed. Between my front two teeth I’ve been having some type of reaction. The gums are inflamed and bleeding. I asked my dentist for the alloy certificate, but didn’t see any alloy composition on it. The certificate said something like GC LiSi Press. I have tried researching this but literally cannot find anything on this. Can you tell me anything about what is in this so I can figure out what type of reaction I am having?

Eliza

Dear Eliza,

Yes, It is a GC LiSi Press. The reason you can’t find any alloy on the certificate is because an alloy only is only for metal based crowns. You have a metal-free crown.

I honestly do not think this is an allergic reaction for a couple of reasons. First, I can’t imagine that your other four crowns are made from a different material. If you were allergic to anything in the crowns it would affect all of the gums by your dental crowns, not just two of them. Second, Press is a high-density lithium disilicate. There are no documented cases of any allergies to this type of dental crown. Third, bleeding is not a symptom of an allergy. What it is a symptom of is gum disease.

What this tells me is food and other types of bacteria are getting trapped there. What I’d like you to do is to floss in the area. It could be a matter of not flossing enough. Or, there could be a margin overhang. If there is a ledge under the gum that catches your floss that would indicate a problem that your dentist needs to fix. If that is not the issue than I will suggest something like a WaterPik to make sure you are getting that area thoroughly cleaned out when you brush and floss.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Why are My Teeth Whiter Than My Crown?

Posted on December 22, 2021 by writeradmin.

I had to get my first dental crown ever. My dentist said he gave me the whitest shade, but my teeth are whiter. How can my teeth be whiter than the whitest shade? It looks really weird. Can I use teeth whitening on the crown?

Leslie

Hi Leslie,

I’m glad you wrote and am certain I can help you. I’m having to make some assumptions here because I haven’t actually examined you. If any of these are wrong, feel free to write back and we’ll work the problem a different way. First, I am assuming that you have used teeth whitening in the past. Second, it appears your dentist does not do a lot of cosmetic work. With those two assumptions, here is what I think is going on, as well as how you can fix it.

First, when dentists are looking to match a shade of a tooth in order to match a crown to it, they always start with a shade guide. Directly above, I have posted an image of the old shade guide that dentists would use. Then, the 1990s came along and things changed. Teeth whitening skyrocketed in popularity. Suddenly, patients were coming into the dentist’s office with teeth that were whiter than anything on the shade guide. Dentists had a hard time matching dental work to their patient’s teeth.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for cosmetic dentists to express the need for these shade guides to be updated, and the supply companies stepped up to the bat. Above, I have an image of an updated shade guide. Notice the extension on the left. This is where those brighter shades are placed. They are all much whiter than the whitest shade on the old shade guide.

I believe your dentist is still using the old shade guide. So, how do you fix this? Teeth whitening, while remarkably effective on teeth, will only whiten teeth. That means your natural teeth will get whiter but your dental crown will stay the same color. That will not have the effect you were hoping for. Instead, I suggest you inform your dentist about the new shade guide so he can give you the correct color crown. You can even show him this post if it helps.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Too Young for Partial Dentures

Posted on January 18, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have quite a few teeth that need work. Many are chipped. I know there are stains. I also have several teeth with cavities. I want to fix my teeth or at least find a permanent replacement for the ones that can’t be saved but all my dentist wants to do is extract them and put in partial dentures. I am only 32 years old, which too young for partial dentures. Do I have options?

Kimberly

Dear Kimberly,

While you have options, they may not be with this dentist. Every dentist is different. Some work hard to save teeth. Others just want to do the easy procedures and take the money. The one good thing you have going for you is your dentist didn’t try to do procedures he wasn’t comfortable with. When this happens, the results are usually an absolute disaster for the patient.

Your first order of business is to find a dentist who is willing to work with you. For your cavities, there are dental fillings and dental crowns (if the decay is too large for a filling). For chipped teeth, there is dental bonding, but that does take a dentist comfortable with cosmetic procedures.

As for teeth that can’t be saved. Your best solution is a dental implant. These are permanent tooth replacements and are much better than any type of denture. Like cosmetic procedures, however, it is important you find a dentist who has invested in post-doctoral training in these type of procedures. Neither of them are recognized specialties, so it is up to the dentist how much training they get in them.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

My Dentist Doesn’t Seem to Care

Posted on July 20, 2020 by writeradmin.

I had a molar that had a filling and now it cracked. My dentist placed a dental crown on the tooth. From the beginning, the place where he put the crown hurt. I mentioned that to them and they said sensitivity was normal. Yet, months later it still hurts to bite or chew in that area. In fact, I don’t do either. Fast forward a bit and I’m supposed to be getting a second crown. However, I specifically asked them when I came in to make sure the first crown is pain-free first. All they did was numb the area without any real changes then went ahead with the second crown. At this point, the tooth is still incredibly painful and now I have a periapical abscess. Now they’re saying it needs a root canal treatment. I think it may be time to just extract the tooth. As I feel my dentist caused this, is there a way to get a refund on the crown and just have him extract the tooth and I pay for that?

Ruthie

Dear Ruthie,

Your dentist was pretty uncaring about this, that is certain. Based on your description, it would have been smarter for him to do a root canal treatment upfront, knowing the tooth was cracked and already at risk. However, hindsight is always 20-20. My bigger concern is the fact they ignored your pain. While some teeth can have sensitivity after a dental crown placement, that type of sensitivity is different from what you described. It would normally be sensitivity to temperature changes, not pain with chewing as you described.

They left you in pain for months, then when you went in for another crown and asked them to deal with the first crown they did some token numbing and went directly to the second crown. It seems like they’re only after the fee they could get. Money comes from doing a second crown, not from fixing a crown you’ve already paid for. Unfortunately, being an uncaring dentist isn’t enough grounds to win a refund in court. There has to be malpractice. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get a refund.

My suggestion is to talk to your dentist. If he doesn’t agree, then you can write a negative online review. If however, he has a lot of bad reviews and he hasn’t addressed them then you are not likely to get any result from that either.

Where to Go From Here

Rather than extracting the tooth, I am going to recommend you get the root canal, instead of the extraction. I don’t think your dentist is the best dentist to do the procedure though. You need someone who cares and is skilled. My recommendation would be an endodontist. The good news is because of your abscess, the endodontist can drill into your tooth and you won’t even feel it. However, that is not the case with an extraction. In fact, the area for an upper tooth would be almost impossible to get numb, making the procedure traumatic.

Then, once that is over, you have the additional problem of replacing that missing tooth. If you want the best type of tooth replacement, a dental implant, it will require surgery. I really think the root canal will be the best option for you.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentist Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Dentist Wants Me To Get 4 Crowns for Makeover

Posted on February 8, 2019 by writeradmin.

I told my dentist I was interested in getting a smile makeover with porcelain veneers. He said he doesn’t like the results you get with porcelain veneers and instead suggested I try dental crowns on the front four teeth after getting my teeth whitened. Is this a good option? I’ve heard so many great things about veneers.

Laura

Dear Laura,

I extremely glad you wrote and you will be too. First, let me start with what your dentist said correctly. You will want to whiten your teeth first. I’ll explain why later. However, the idea of doing a smile makeover with dental crowns, even beautiful porcelain crowns, is a major over-treatment, with one exception.

If the four teeth in question need repair work anyway from dental crowns then that will make sense. however, you seem to just be after a smile makeover. Getting crowns will mean grinding down healthy tooth structure. It’s in your best interest to preserve as much natural tooth structure as possible.

My guess as to why your dentist is suggesting crowns instead of veneers is because he lacks skill in cosmetic dentistry. I say that not just because of the crowns (which is in itself a big hint) but because he’s only suggesting four. Unless you have a very unique smile, I’m guessing when you do flash your grin, there are more than four teeth showing. Most patients need between 8-10 porcelain veneers to truly reach all their visible teeth.

Alternatives to Your Dentist’s Suggestion

Here’s my Recommendation. If you’re serious about getting a smile makeover, go with your original idea of porcelain veneers. They can give you a truly gorgeous smile. However, go to a dentist who knows how to place them and get pretty results. Don’t force your dentist into doing a procedure he doesn’t have the skill and training for.

Look up some cosmetic dentists in your area and then check their smile gallery and reviews to see if they’re a safe bet for you. Remember, not everyone who does porcelain veneers, does them well.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.