My poor husband has two dental crowns that just will not stay on. We will go back in to have them re-cemented back on, but within just two weeks they fall off again. Our dentist said he must be doing something for this to happen, but I promise he isn’t. Should we extract those two teeth and get dental implants instead. He is so frustrated and I can’t say I blame him.
Andrea
Dear Andrea,
I am glad you wrote. I am going to say right upfront. This is not the best dentist for your husband — or anyone for that matter. He does not have a grasp of basic dental procedures. Dental crowns are one of the first restorations that dentists learn. Yet, rather than figure out what he is doing wrong, he is placing the blame on your husband. This is unprofessional.
When a dental crown is properly shaped and bonded it will not fall off, especially repeatedly and after such a short period of time. Most dentist will go their entire career without one crown falling off.
Getting a dental implant will not help. The implant is topped with a dental crown, so your husband would be in the same situation he is in now, just without a natural tooth. While dental implants are great tooth replacement options, his natural teeth are still better.
You don’t need to switch procedures. You need to switch dentists. Go to a different dentist and find out what the issue is with this crown. It may be your husband just needs someone who knows how to bond this on properly. However, when you go to the other dentist, he or she may tell you that the crown is over-tapered. This can cause a problem with the crown staying on even with the bonding. If they tell you that, your best bet is to just ask for a refund from your original dentist and let the second dentist do the crown over for him.
I’m sorry your husband has had so much trouble with this.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.