Tag Archives: dental crown

Angry with Pediatric Dentist

I am so upset right now I am shaking. I had my daughter in for a checkup and he told me there is a cavity on a back tooth and he’ll need to do a pulpotomy. I had some questions. First, what is a pulpotomy? Second, why can’t we just do a filling? Third, if it is a baby tooth, why can’t we just extract it and let the adult one come in? Rather than answer ANY of my questions he said, “Do you ever get tired of questioning experts all the time? Maybe you should trust I am the dentist and know what I’m doing.” I don’t think my questions were unreasonable. AND this is MY child. Not his. Would you mind answering the questions for me so I can decide what to do?

Jennifer

Dear Jennifer,

Four Smiling Children

I am sorry that you were treated this way. I will be happy to answer your questions. Before I do, I am going to suggest you find another dentist for your daughter. You need someone who is on your side and willing to answer every single question and concern you have. It does not have to be a pediatric dentist. There are family dentists who treat both adults and children. Now for your questions.

A pulpotomy is a child’s version of a root canal treatment. They are less involved than the adult versions. It is typically reserved for back teeth and is a last resort at saving the tooth that is infected. This leads to your second question.

If it is a matter of a simple cavity, then a filling will be all she needs. I recommend mercury-free composite fillings as the safest option. Once the cavity spreads to about 30% of the tooth, then a filling will not be enough and you would have to get her a dental crown.

Only if the tooth is infected would you do a pulpotomy. You did not mention that your daughter had an infection in the tooth, just a cavity, so that makes me wonder. It may be in her best interest to get a second opinion.

Your final question was a good one as well. In some cases, it is fine to just extract a baby tooth and wait for the adult tooth to make its appearance. Back molars are different. They have to last until your child is around twelve years of age. Otherwise, that space is left open for too long waiting on the adult molars. The adjacent teeth drift or tip into the spot. When the adult teeth finally do arrive, there is not enough room for them, which leads to crowding and the need for orthodontics.

If a back tooth does have to be extracted, her dentist would need to put a space maintainer there in order to keep the rest of the teeth in place until her adult tooth arises.

I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.
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In Pain After Dental Work in Mexico

I need some advice and am wondering if I have a dental emergency on my hands. I went to Mexico to save some money on my dental care. They gave the three crowns in all. One of the crowns fell off after a few days, so I made the trip back to have it fixed. Then, they told me it needed a root canal treatment in order to have the crown replaced. When I asked why they didn’t do that to begin with they said root canals only work sometimes so aren’t worth it unless there is a problem. It sounded like they were trying to save me money before so I agreed to the root canal treatment. Now I am in massive pain and the tooth is really sensitive. I called them back and they said I would need to come back in. Now they are saying the tooth is cracked and I will need to extract it and get a dental implant. If it wasn’t cracked before does that mean they cracked it when they did the root canal? Do I go ahead with this extraction and replacement? I’m starting to lose confidence in them.

Bryce

Dear Bryce,

Man in pain, grabbing his cheek in need of emergency dental care.

STARTING to lose confidence in them? I lost confidence back when the dental crown fell off. Properly bonding on a dental crown is a pretty basic dental procedure. Even the worst crowns should last a minimum of five years. Yours did not even last a few days. As for their root canal treatment, the excuse that they don’t always work does not wash with me. While root canal failure is a thing, if your tooth is infected you need a root canal treatment. Period. However, I don’t think you needed one. You gave no indication to me that you were in pain, which is one of the signs of an infected tooth.

I think you were given an unnecessary root canal. Not only that, they didn’t finish it. If they had, you would not be in pain. You can only have sensitivity in a tooth if there is still some viable tissue. A root canal treatment is supposed to remove all the inside tissue. Obviously, they didn’t. Now they are saying the tooth is cracked and you need to replace it. Even if it is true that the tooth is cracked, that does not make it unsavable.

I would not let these people anywhere near your teeth for even a second. I don’t know what the laws are in Mexico for patient recourse in these situations, but you may end up just having to cut your losses. If you are in pain, and it sounds like you are, I’d like you to schedule an urgent dental appointment with a dentist here in the United States. Get a true evaluation of this tooth and see where you stand. Then we’ll have a better idea of how you can get this healed.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.

Is My Pain Caused by my CEREC Crown?

Hello there,

I had three CEREC crowns done on my back teeth recently. I was pleased with how convenient getting the CEREC crowns was, but since then, I’ve had a lot of pain when chewing. Eating anything crunchy or chewy causing a bolt of pain, as though a nerve is exposed or something. My dentist has shaved down some of the crown. He says the pain I feel is from how I grind my food when I chew. Is that the case? I’ve tried being more careful when I eat, but the pain I feel makes me nervous during meals.

Richard from Amityville, New York

 

Dear Richard,

There are a few reasons that can cause a new crown to hurt. One reason may be that the crown is too high, so the rest of your teeth hit it first when you bite into something. The second reason is that the tooth under the crown may be infected. The infection can cause inflammation in the jaw, causing constant jolts of pain when biting or chewing.

Your pain is unlikely to be caused by how you chew your food, as you did not have this problem prior to the crown. Also, CEREC crowns are supposed to fit exactly to your mouth’s specifications, as they are milled to fit your teeth precisely.

Since your dentist has tried to grind down the crown, your pain is not likely to be caused by hitting too high on the crown. You will need to find out if you have an infection, and where it is in your mouth. An X-ray will be needed, and you may want to seek a second opinion if you do not trust your current dentist’s skills.

This blog post is brought to you by Gilbert CEREC crown provider, Dr. Matt Roper, of Vista Dorada Dental.

 

 

Emergency Dentist Won’t Fix Crown

Several months ago, I had a crown placed. Shortly after, approximately 3-4 months, a portion of the porcelain broke completely off. Not only was I bothered that the piece fell off so soon after the crown was placed, but it has been bothering me ever since. I returned to the dentist a few times for adjustments, but nothing really improved the issue.

I still need to address the problem, but have zero interest in returning to the same dentist. It is causing me pain and discomfort, so I sought out an emergency dentist who saw me quickly. Unfortunately, the dentist would not correct the current crown issues, stating that, instead, it needed to be completely replaced.

A new crown is not in my budget, especially since the crown should not have broken. Do you have any suggestions?

Thanks,
Mike

Dear Mike,

It is understandable that you are frustrated after experiencing these issues. However, it is important to understand that different dentists have different opinions when it comes to treatments and ways to address issues.

You mentioned your crown was broken. It’s possible that there is no way to save the crown and a new one needs placed. If this is the case, it would be good to return to the dentist who originally placed it, to at least attempt treatment, as it would cost less for you.

Dentists have varying opinions on the length of time a treatment should last. For example, a crown should last at least five years. If a repair to the crown is needed, or a crown needs replaced, the dentist should not charge the patient, or at minimum, charge a reduced fee. You should expect that your dentist will stand behind his or her work.

This blog is sponsored by the office of Gilbert emergency dentist, Dr. Matthew Roper.

 

Can you get more than one root canal on a tooth?

I had a root canal two years ago from my dentist. I trust him and he usually does a great job. Recently, though, I have been feeling some pain on that same tooth.  I’ve been told before about pain in the teeth being projected (I think it was called) from another hurting tooth. I’m pretty sure that must be it because you can’t get a root canal twice in the same tooth, right?

Pat

Dear Pat,

toothacheThere are times when pain from a tooth is projected, or referred, from another tooth. In your case, though, it truly may be that you are feeling pain from the same tooth that had the root canal.

In most instances where a root canal is completed, the tissue, or pulp, in the tooth is completely cleaned out of the spaces and canals. Then the canals are sealed so bacteria can’t reenter. A crown is put on top and the patient goes home without another thought about the infection in the tooth.

So how come you may need another root canal?

Unfortunately, not all teeth are created equally. Most molars, for example, have three canals leading down to the roots. Every once in a while, those molars either have a fourth canal leading down or the canals are twisted and at angles that make it difficult for a dentist, even a good, competent dentist, to completely clean out the pulp. If that infected area isn’t completely cleaned out or properly sealed, it may cause pain again as infection grows. If that happens, a second or maybe even a third root canal may be necessary.

These scenarios of root canals aren’t common, but they do happen. If your pain continues, you may want to revisit your dentist to check your tooth. He may retreat it or may refer you to an endodontist, a dentist who specializes in root canal treatment.

This post is sponsored by Vista Dorada Dental in Gilbert, AZ.

 

Sensitivity after a filling

Several months ago I had a filling placed. It was fine at the time, but then a few weeks later the tooth became sensitive to cold. Do I need to replace the filling?

Anthony S.-Bache, OK

Anthony,

When a tooth feels fine immediately after a new filling is placed, but then becomes sensitive later, that usually means that there are bacteria from the original decay that had penetrated into the pulp of the tooth. Generally, you wait it out and hope your normal body defenses kick in and deal with it.

The key as to whether you need to do anything will depend on if the sensitivity is getting better or not. If the sensitivity is improving, then you probably don’t need to do anything. If, however, the sensitivity is getting worse, then it is possible you will need to get a root canal treatment. If so, you’ll also need a dental crown.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert dentist Dr. Brandon Schmidt.

I have decay underneath my crown

I think I have some tooth decay located under my dental crowns. Also, I think I may need another root canal. My question is whether or not the crowns can be reused when the decay is removed from underneath the crown? I am looking for an affordable dentist to do this because I cannot afford to have all new crowns placed.

Another issue I have is that I have a sensitive gag reflex. I’m 70 years old and I’ve been told that I will also have a difficult time dentures. This is frustrating since I thought I fixed most of my dental problems with the crowns I had done several years ago now.

Any advice would be appreciated.

– Louie from California

Louie,

The good news is that the decay around a dental crown can sometimes be fixed without having to remove them completely. That said, it all depends on how bad the tooth decay is and how deep it is. If it is deep then the crown will need to be removed to take care of the problem. When the crown is removed it may need to be cut off which will means it will not be reusable. But if the crown is removed and remains intact it is possible to have it redone with new material to build it up if you are conscious about budget.

To prevent future tooth decay, you may want to alter how frequently you are eating. Although brushing and flossing everyday is important, snacking throughout the day will not enable you to stay on top of the decay. It’s best to brush each time you eat if your general dental health is a concern.

I hope this information was helpful in answering your question.

This post is sponsored by Gilbert dentist Vista Dorada Dental.

Links you may be interested in: CEREC crowns, emergency dentist

My porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are ugly

Many years ago, like 20 years or so, I had porcelain fused to metal crowns placed on my front top teeth. I think they look so terrible now. You can see this dark line when I smile. It makes me feel unhappy every time I look at them. Are Lumineers an option for me?

– Sally from Virginia

Sally,

What you have described is really quite simple for an expert cosmetic dentist. Yet it is important to realize how cosmetic dentistry truly is an art form. So be sure you understand the difference between a general dentist who says that they can do cosmetic dentistry and a true cosmetic dentist.

You can have the beautiful, white smile you long for. All new ceramic crowns is the way to go. They do not have any metal in them.

This post was provided by Gilbert dentist 16th Street Dental Care.

Related posts: porcelain veneers, CEREC crowns