Tag Archives: dental crowns

Affordable Dentistry

Affordable Dentist for a Full-Mouth Reconstruction?

I never got to go to the dentist as a child. I saved up for two years to go now that I’m in college, just to see what I’m dealing with. He said my mouth was in horrible shape and I needed something called a full mouth reconstruction. I knew there’d be some problems because I’d never been, but I was surprised with how dire my outlook was, especially since my teeth have never bothered me (except for how they look). The way he described the reconstruction sounded like I’d really benefit and my teeth would be pretty, but the price is way above anything I can afford. My roommate said I should ask about affordable dentists. She said that’s what her parents always used. They have less frills but you still get care. Can I get one of those for the reconstruction I need?

Mindy L.

Dear Mindy,

Dollar sgn hatching out of an egg

How admirable that you’ve made such an effort to see a dentist. I wish more older adults were as conscientious as you are. Before we get into a reconstruction I want to caution you. Something feels off about this to me.

While I’m sure there were some issues, if you’ve experienced no pain at all, I doubt you really even need a full mouth reconstruction. You should have been in massive pain. I’d love to hear more specifics of why he said you needed one. I don’t want to see you taken advantage of by someone disreputable.

I’d like you to get a second opinion from another dentist in the area. Some dentists will even give you a free second opinion.

Getting a Second Opinion for Affordable Dental Care

When you go in, don’t tell them who the first dentist was or what his diagnosis was. Just go in and tell him you’re looking for a second opinion on a diagnosis you received that seems questionable to you. Tell him you’ll be happy to tell them the dentist and diagnosis after they give their unbiased opinion.

If it turns out he misled you, please turn the dentist into the ethics board. Most dentists are honest and it’s the bad apples that make life harder for the rest of us.

However, if it turns out you do need a full-mouth reconstruction, that’s not something you price shop for. It is one of the most technically advanced procedures a dentist can do. You don’t want it to simply go to the lowest bidder. There are other ways of making this more affordable.

Instead, talk about ways of phasing out treatments. If planned correctly, it doesn’t have to be done all at once. Get the work done on a schedule of most urgent to least. Also, be clear you want to save as much natural tooth structure as possible.

Fillings before crowns. Crowns before extractions. If you need an extraction, dental implants are the ideal replacement but are pricey. However, it’s worth it to get a temporary cheaper one while you save up the good one, especially as young as you are.

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

Dental Emergency

Worried a Dentist Killed My Tooth

I had a toothache. I went to see an emergency dentist because I don’t have a dentist of my own and this seemed urgent.  I described what was going on. He told me he can’t see anything wrong but my description means I’ve cracked my tooth. He suggested a crown. I decided to get right on it to be done with the whole disaster. Unfortunately, not only am I still hurting, but the tooth next to it has started turning gray. I’ve read that means it’s either dead or dying. Did my emergency dentist cause a new emergency?

Bebe M. – Virginia

Bebe,

I feel it’s unlikely the dentist injured or killed the tooth.  There are three possibilities that come to mind right away. I’ll start with the least likely one. Let’s say you injured the cracked tooth and then a few days later, without realizing it, you injured the tooth right next to it.  Yeah, like I said, not likely. But, it’s possible so I mention it.

Another more likely scenario is that both teeth were injured at the same time but the uncrowned tooth took a little longer than the other to show symptoms. This does happen.

As this tooth is dead or dying it will need a root canal treatment. You’ll want to deal with this quickly, though I know you’re tired of the situation. If you don’t it’s going to harbor bacteria and then you’ll have a serious dental emergency on your hands.

I am going to suggest that you go to a different dentist to have this treatment done because of the third possibility—misdiagnosis. It could have been the graying tooth that was the problem all along. Maybe it was referring pain and that’s why the dentist thought the crowned tooth is the problem or maybe he just messed up. Either way get the x-rays the first dentist did and bring them to the dentist you hire to do the root canal treatment. He or she can look at them and let you know if something was missed. If it turns out it was, you can get a refund on your first treatment.

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

 

Affordable Dentistry

Is This Affordable Dentist Legit?

I saw this dentist who advertised as an affordable dentist. I have a cavity. I was hopeful if I found an affordable dentist I’d be able to get a white filling, which my insurance won’t cover. I decided to go by the office and get a look first. Just to make sure it wasn’t like some backwater office that looks barely sanitary.  I walked in and the place was immaculate. Impeccably decorated, flat screen TVs.  How can the office look this wealthy and still be affordable?

Abigail W. – Arkansas.

Abigail,

It’s interesting that you went to peek at the office before scheduling. That may, in part, be the answer to your question. If you think about how families spend money, it will help, too. Let’s say you have two families which earn the same amount of money. One home can be immaculately decorated, but the family rarely travels. Another can keep their home neat, but frugally decorated. Instead, they use the money for travel.

This dentist has a certain amount of money to work with. He spends some on advertising (which would include the appearance of his lobby).  The rest he can use how he wants. This dentist may prefer a beautiful office, but keeps his prices low to help patients.  He may cut his profits. Or maybe he keeps a leaner staff than most.

Call and ask what his prices are for white fillings. That should give you some idea of if his prices are as affordable as you’d hoped. Whatever you do, don’t just leave the cavity. It will spread and will likely blow up into an infection, leaving you with a dental emergency.

Now, what could have been a simple filling will turn into an expensive dental crown or, worse, a complete tooth replacement such as a dental implant.

One thing to bear in mind is that you can get a white filling and your dentist will charge your insurance for the amalgam filling. You’ll only need to make up the difference, saving you some money right off the bat.

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

 

Sedation Dentistry

Will Sedation Let Me Get ALL My Dental Work Done?

I hate dentists. Hate them.  I’ve not gone in a while and as a result I need a lot of work.  Here’s the breakdown:

1 tooth pulled, 3 Dental Crowns. 1 Root Canal

Is it possible to get this all done at once?

Drew – Minnesota

Drew,

It sounds like you’ve had some really bad experiences at the dentists. I assuming you know about sedation dentistry and that is why you’re asking if it can get done in one visit.

Depending on the dentist and how much work he’s willing to do at once, it’s possible to get at least most of it done in one sitting. It may take two. Either way, you won’t feel a thing.

Sedation is designed to give you a completely pain free dental experience. You may not even remember the procedures.  You may even find a way to, if not enjoy, at least no longer hate going to the dentist.

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

Dental Emergency

Should a dental crown fall off?

I got a dental crown. It fell out while my my dentist was on vacation. I got in touch with them and he said that is normal and to wait until he’s back in a couple of weeks. Is it really normal for this to happen?

Holly S. – Staten Island, NY

Holly,

No, this is not normal and I can’t believe your dentist would suggest it is. I’m not saying your not telling the truth. I just am amazed at your dentist’s incompetence.

Dental crowns don’t just fall out if they’re properly bonded on. In fact, most dentist never have a single dental crown fall out in their entire careers.

That feeling is compounded by the fact that your dentist is telling you to wait on him two weeks. In that amount of time, your teeth will likely shift and your crown will no longer fit. You’ll have to have an entirely new crown made.

My suggestion would be that you bypass your dentist and go see an emergency dentist. They’ll see you quickly, even if you’re not an established patient. They can bond your crown on.

I honestly think you need to look for a different dentist.

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

CEREC crowns

Crown fell off

My temporary crown fell out.  Can I get it to stay back in using denture paste?

Luke H. – Georgia

Luke,

It is your dentist who should assume responsibility for the crown to be re-cemented. However, if for some reason  you can’t reach him or he does not take responsibility, you have two options:

First, you could go to a pharmacy and get some temporary dental cement.  Tell them what happened to your crown and they should be able to supply you with some.

Second, if the first option isn’t possible you can use super glue.  Don’t use too much because it can be hard to get off.

What I don’t want you to do is leave the crown off. Even if it is only off for a few days it will throw off your bite and then your permanent crwon will not fit.

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

CEREC crowns

Crowns without a temporary

I needed to get a dental crown. My temporary crown has fallen off. Of course, my know it all sister told me if I’d have gotten a cerec crown I wouldn’t have needed a temporary to begin with.  I’m sure she’d correct (she always seems to be), but can you tell me what this cerec thing is?

Nate- Boston

Nate,

I have a sister like that. As much as I hate to tell you this, she is right. CEREC crowns are milled at your appointment by a computer. They’re generally ready in about twenty minutes.

Because they’re done by computer, they generally will fit better as well.  You’ll have to find a dentist who uses CEREC technology.

Hopefully, your current dentist took care of your temporary crown.  You don’t want to leave that off because it can throw off your bite and your permanent crown won’t fit.

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

 

CEREC crowns

Rough crown

I had a cerec crown put in and on the follow up visit my dentist accidentally damaged it. he said that wouldn’t be a problem because he saved everything on the computer and could just make another one and gave me a temp crown. the problem is the new crown seems rough. i think i remember my first cerec crown being really smooth like glass. i was happy about that because it reminded me of my regualar tooth. do you think my dentist is pulling a fast one on me and not putting a new cerec crown in and just putting some other kind that isn’t as smooth?

Jeremy V. from El Dorado, AR

Jeremy,

No matter what type of crown your dentist puts in, it should be smooth and natural feeling. If it is rough, it is possible your dentist took off some of the glaze when he made his adjustments. Maybe he tried to repair the crown he damaged, in the process removing some of the glaze, instead of making a new CEREC crown.

If you have reason to doubt his ethics, I would get a second opinion about your crown, but don’t tell the second dentist who your dentist is or the dental history of it. Simply ask him what he thinks the crown is made of. This way the dentist won’t be tempted to tell you what he thinks you want to hear. Nor, will he know which dentist you went to and feel some loyalty to a peer with whom he is on friendly terms.

If you don’t doubt his ethics, then I would simply point out that the glaze was damaged somehow and have him re-polish it. That is a simple procedure.

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

Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Crowns, Lumineers

My crowns are ugly

Quite awhile ago, like 20 years or so, I had porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns placed on my front teeth. I hate the dark line that is evident when I smile. Do you know if anything can be done to improve their appearance or change this? I have a big smile and it really bothers me. Would Lumineers work? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

– Carolyn in California

Carolyn,

It is possible to get that beautiful smile you are hoping for without the dark lines. For an expert cosmetic dentist, the treatment is relatively simple. A general dentist does not have the artistic ability required to make this transformation beautiful. An experienced cosmetic dentist can place crowns made of all porcelain. There is no metal in them, so they will look just like your natural teeth.

I hope this information was helpful.

This post is sponsored by Gilbert dentist Vista Dorada dental.

Related links: porcelain veneers, CEREC crowns