I had a dental crown done almost six months ago. It’s hurt from the beginning. The dentist has adjusted it almost 7 times and finally said he’s done all he can do. He felt it was just a matter of me getting used to it. I tried. I really did. Then last night while I was out with friends a piece of it broke off. I was told that can be fixed, but I’ve just lost faith in my dentist. I decided it was time to try another dentist. I scheduled an emergency appointment with someone the next day. For some reason, he absolutely refused to fix the other dentists crown. He said the best he can do for me is replace this one. That would mean paying for another crown all over again. What should I do?
Carrie L.
Dear Carrie,
You’ve been through the mill with this crown. I’m so sorry. Certainly, you have a right to be frustrated. I’m not sure the emergency dentist refused to fix the crown because it was another dentist’s. It’s more likely he communicated poorly and meant that the damage done to the porcelain crown couldn’t be repaired. If that’s the case, a new crown really is the best he could do for you.
There are two main reasons a crown can cause pain.
- Remaining Infection
- Poor Placement
Remaining Infection
If the crown was placed because of an infection and root canal treatment, there is always a chance that an infection is remaining. There are a lot of canals in the teeth and some of them are hard to reach. Dentists can do everything right and a root canal treatment will still fail. One of the first thing a dentist will normally do when a patient mentions consistent pain on biting is x-rays to make sure there is no lingering infection.
Poor Placement
If there isn’t an infection, the next thing to check is whether the crown is seated too high. If it’s not properly placed, your opposing teeth will bash onto the crown causing pain. Normally, all your teeth bite simultaneously which spreads out the pressure.
Because your crown broke when you were eating, my suspicion is that your crown was seated too high. The impact of your bite caused it to break.
Your Options in Solving Your Dental Emergency
I worded this as a dental emergency intentionally. You don’t want to put off dealing with this. With your crown missing, your other teeth will begin shifting into the empty space which has opened up. That could derail your bite.
Option 1
Go back to the original dentist, ask him to make you a new crown. He should do it for free. Your crown hasn’t lasted even the minimal amount of time. Even poorly made crowns would last at least a few years. However, I realize this dentist hasn’t exactly built up your confidence. I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to deal with another crown made by him.
Option 2
Go back to the original dentist and ask for a refund and go to the emergency dentist to make the new crown. Like I said above, your crown was defective. Even an all-porcelain crown should have lasted much longer. You’re perfectly within your rights to receive a complete refund.
Option 3
Go back to the original dentist and ask for a refund, but go to a completely different dentist to make your new crown. Maybe you didn’t like either dentist. There is a world of dentists out there. Some dentists are better than others. Check out their reviews to see what other patient’s experiences have been with them.
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