Tooth crowns??

[OldHillcrestGuy]

I have 3 or 4 crowns lost count, never had to have the root canal, thank goodness, one of them is the upper front tooth, busted it off 40 years ago in the service in a swimming pool came up out if the water and hit the edge of the pool. The Army capped it for me but after a few years after I was out it turned dark, it eventually broke and the crown thats on there now has never come off and with this crown and the others you forget that they are even there after awhile. Go for it, at our advance age. it should last longer then we will.

 

[Sweet 16]

I've had two molar crowns and no problems other than the time it took and the expense -- most insurance won't pay for crowns. One of them broke once (I'm an habitual ice chewer). The worst part of getting it replaced was getting the remnants of the old one off. That sucker was cemented on so well, they had to bust it off piece by tiny piece and it took forever. By the time they seated the new one, the Novocaine was wearing off and it hurt like sticking a fork in a filling! I have another chipped crown and fortunately, dentist says that only the metal, not the tooth is exposed so I don't need to have this one replaced...yet. I highly recommend a crown over risking the pain and potential damage of an infection.

 

[ItalianScallion]

Got lots of crowns in my mouth. Not a big deal. Get it done. Dentist told me I had cracks in one of my teeth, showed me on the pictures. He said sooner or later it would break off. He was absolutely right. It did. Get the crown done.

Not what I wanted to hear but your experiences are what I'm looking for.

As an adult, I had to have 3 crowns put in since last year. I had one tooth fracture requiring a crown. The changed pressure from the crown caused the tooth under it to fracture. Fortunately, I did not need root canals. The crowns feel different and take a little getting used to, but it's way better than a cracked tooth.

"Changed pressure"??? Meaning when you bite down?
That is where the dentists experience comes into play. If my bite feels different or my mouth doesn't close fully, I'll let him know. I'm sure he'll "dry fit" it first before he glues it. He'd better...

Root canals are easy! I'd rather get one than fold laundry.

This is why you ladies have the babies.
I only know one guy who had a root canal and he wasn't too thrilled about it. In fact he hated it!! (I'll fold your laundry, you get the crown done, ok?)

The worst part of getting it replaced was getting the remnants of the old one off. That sucker was cemented on so well, they had to bust it off piece by tiny piece and it took forever. By the time they seated the new one, the Novocaine was wearing off and it hurt like sticking a fork in a filling! I have another chipped crown and fortunately, dentist says that only the metal, not the tooth is exposed so I don't need to have this one replaced...yet. I highly recommend a crown over risking the pain and potential damage of an infection.

I've had Novacaine in the past for dental work and it lasted about 2 hours.
He said the procedure is done in two, 1 hour visits so I should be ok.
Numbing is a weird feeling isn't it?! My lips feel like they're hanging down to my neck but they're not. And that needle! I asked him: could you find one a bit longer? It had to be 18" long! I have no fear of needles, just fear of being stuck with them...

How long does it take for the cement to fully harden?
Will I be able to eat in the same week? I can see myself chewing on the opposite side for a month...
Is the crown sharp like our other back teeth or is it smooth? The tooth in question is the bottom left, second from the back one. I can feel it with my tongue and it has some sharp edges.
(I'm sure I'll get these questions answered next week but I like to know in advance). Thanks folks!

 

[dems4me]

Not what I wanted to hear but your experiences are what I'm looking for.

"Changed pressure"??? Meaning when you bite down?
That is where the dentists experience comes into play. If my bite feels different or my mouth doesn't close fully, I'll let him know. I'm sure he'll "dry fit" it first before he glues it. He'd better...

This is why you ladies have the babies.
I only know one guy who had a root canal and he wasn't too thrilled about it. In fact he hated it!! (I'll fold your laundry, you get the crown done, ok?)

I've had Novacaine in the past for dental work and it lasted about 2 hours.
He said the procedure is done in two, 1 hour visits so I should be ok.
Numbing is a weird feeling isn't it?! My lips feel like they're hanging down to my neck but they're not. And that needle! I asked him: could you find one a bit longer? It had to be 18" long! I have no fear of needles, just fear of being stuck with them...

How long does it take for the cement to fully harden?
Will I be able to eat in the same week? I can see myself chewing on the opposite side for a month...
Is the crown sharp like our other back teeth or is it smooth? The tooth in question is the bottom left, second from the back one. I can feel it with my tongue and it has some sharp edges.
(I'm sure I'll get these questions answered next week but I like to know in advance). Thanks folks!

I think the rootcanal pain level also depends on how abcessed the tooth is and proximity of the nerve to the root or if its a referred pain (pain radiating out to other areas too). I've had several, some okay, some not. I was able to chew on a crown okay, didnt' have to wait a week at all. Soft foods I think for the first day and you are good to go. I believe they will make the crown replicate your tooth as you already have a bite established :shrug: I dont remember what exactly it looked like before. Hope that helps. It should be same height though so it doesn't throw your bite out of alignment.

 

[GWguy]

"Changed pressure"??? Meaning when you bite down?
That is where the dentists experience comes into play. If my bite feels different or my mouth doesn't close fully, I'll let him know. I'm sure he'll "dry fit" it first before he glues it. He'd better...

Have to remember that as your teeth age, they wear. They develop depressions and crevices and bite patterns which are similar to the ones above or below it. Swap out that worn tooth with a crown that is a "perfect" tooth, no wear spots, no similarity to the tooth it used to grind with, and it will have high and low spots and mis-matched faces. Those high spots now create pressure points on the other tooth that did not exist before. No matter how hard the dentist tries, it will never be like it was. If the other tooth is weak, those mis-matched points can cause the weak tooth to chip.

And I speak from experience on this. The dentist worked very hard to grind and match the surfaces on me. If one tooth chipped, then the other probably isn't far behind anyway.

 

[ItalianScallion]

I was able to chew on a crown okay, didnt' have to wait a week at all. Soft foods I think for the first day and you are good to go. I believe they will make the crown replicate your tooth as you already have a bite established :shrug: I dont remember what exactly it looked like before. Hope that helps. It should be same height though so it doesn't throw your bite out of alignment.

Fortunately my tooth is fine but he said it's a "good possiblility" that it could crack. The filling covers the entire top of the tooth so I tend to believe his diagnosis. I'll just have to trust him on this one. I'm sure he's very knowledgeable about prevention. Thanks!

Have to remember that as your teeth age, they wear. They develop depressions and crevices and bite patterns which are similar to the ones above or below it. Swap out that worn tooth with a crown that is a "perfect" tooth, no wear spots, no similarity to the tooth it used to grind with, and it will have high and low spots and mis-matched faces. Those high spots now create pressure points on the other tooth that did not exist before. No matter how hard the dentist tries, it will never be like it was. If the other tooth is weak, those mis-matched points can cause the weak tooth to chip.

I understand. I'm sure he'll take the impression of my tooth and that should be accurate. My teeth do fit together very well (no over or under bite) so there's no room for error or expansion.
I remember when he filled this one a couple of years ago. It had a metal filling, he filed it out and put a white filling in and I loved it! I could feel the new filling preventing my mouth from fully closing but he did ask me how it felt. I told him that I could feel the filling so he filed it down a tiny bit. Everything has been fine since then.
I have one other tooth on the other side that has a large metal filling and I'll see how he treats that one. If he wants to crown it too, I'll crown him...
I told him that he better not be like Rodney Dangerfield's dentist:
He told Rodney that his teeth were all rotten and that they should all come out. So he pulled them all out and gave him a new set of false teeth. The only problem was, a year later, the dentist said he needed braces...
Thanks!

 

[DEEKAYPEE8569]

My dentist told me today that I need a crown on one of my lower left teeth. Now I'm not afraid of dental work, thanks to Novacaine, but I do NOT like having my "factory equipment" removed. He said the tooth could possibly break or chip if I bite down hard on something. It is not chipped or loose or anything, he just said that there's more filling than tooth.
I've been going to him for 30 years, so I trust him and I told him so, but I really don't think the time is right for this.
He replaced the filling two years ago and the tooth doesn't hurt. My only concern is the area becoming infected because of the crown or it coming loose.
The cost to me isn't much but I just don't like the thought of this. I don't see this as a fool proof procedure and I see lots of problems ahead.
Any success or horror stories? Thanks folks!

Don't mean to hijack, but I have a tooth story.

I had a root canal on a pre-molar; I guess it's called; and subsequently had to have it filled because I wanted to keep the tooth, but after I had it filled, I was eating; of all things; a sub sandwich. When I bit down on the chewey bread, the tooth literally popped; broken at the gumline. "Well did you swallow it?" "Uuummm.....yeah...." I also said something about being able to chew my own.....never mind.....
Anyway, since a crown is as pricey as one is, I decided not to get one.
Since then, I've had two more teeth crack apart and I've had two other molars pulled. I'm runnin' outta "uppers"! Dr. K told me to seriously consider getting all the rest of what's left pulled and get a plate. NOT looking forward to when that time comes.
Damn meds.....

 

[libertytyranny]

deekaypee8569 please if you get false teeth please don't push them in and out of your mouth with your tongue where others can see it its pretty gross and also don't take them out for show and tell nobody needs to know you have false teeth. Also don't go running to your neighbor and ask how to glue it back together as your neighbor probably won't know how to do it. Only reason I know any of this is one of the tenants where i live has them for his upper teeth and he grosses me out bigtime with what he does. I don't think he puts pollydent or whatever that stuff is called to keep the teeth from coming out with all the gross stuff he does. I told my stepdad he needs to have a talk with the guy and tell him what he is doing is grossing people out.

 

[CTBburn]

deekaypee8569 please if you get false teeth please don't push them in and out of your mouth with your tongue where others can see it its pretty gross and also don't take them out for show and tell nobody needs to know you have false teeth. Also don't go running to your neighbor and ask how to glue it back together as your neighbor probably won't know how to do it. Only reason I know any of this is one of the tenants where i live has them for his upper teeth and he grosses me out bigtime with what he does. I don't think he puts pollydent or whatever that stuff is called to keep the teeth from coming out with all the gross stuff he does. I told my stepdad he needs to have a talk with the guy and tell him what he is doing is grossing people out.

I had a neighbor that would push his teeth out like that! My brother and I were SSOOOO scared of him when we were little! We hadn't ever seen dentures before so we couldn't figure out how he was doing it!

Then my grampa got his top teeth done but he would leave them on top of the microwave all the time. It was so embarrassing when my friends would come over!!

 

[frozenrain]

I've heard about root canals last year and I told him "ain't gonna happen in this mouth"! I've heard the horror stories about them babies!
He actually calls me "Mr Boring mouth" because they're soo white and straight and he hardly has to clean them at all. I take meticulous care of my teeth and it makes me mad that I'm about to lose one (sort of) because of my childhood obsession with Bonomo Turkish Taffy.
Thanks everybody for the insight.
Did you all get any options for the crown material? He mentioned metal or gold; is he nuts? I want a white one so it matches the others!

I Wish I'd Looked After My Teeth - Pam Ayres

Hope you get it all sorted out.

 

[Sweet 16]

I have no fear of needles, just fear of being stuck with them...

Since mine were both molars, the needle went in the area behind the teeth between the upper and lower jaw. They may apply a topical anesthetic before the shot so you won't even feel it. Just close your eyes and imagine puppy dogs and butterflies.

How long does it take for the cement to fully harden?
Will I be able to eat in the same week? I can see myself chewing on the opposite side for a month...

I was able to eat the same day. If I were you, I would chew on the other side for the day, just to be safe.

Is the crown sharp like our other back teeth or is it smooth? The tooth in question is the bottom left, second from the back one. I can feel it with my tongue and it has some sharp edges.
(I'm sure I'll get these questions answered next week but I like to know in advance). Thanks folks!

They will take impressions so that the crown matches your original tooth as much as possible. If it is broken, then I guess they do the best they can and try to match the surrounding teeth as well. There may be some smoothing/filing before it's perfect, but they'll ask you to bite down and will adjust the crown before the cement is "set". Good luck!

 

[ItalianScallion]

deekaypee8569 please if you get false teeth please don't push them in and out of your mouth with your tongue where others can see it its pretty gross and also don't take them out for show and tell nobody needs to know you have false teeth.

YES! That is soo gross! I know a geezer that does this...

Since mine were both molars, the needle went in the area behind the teeth between the upper and lower jaw. They may apply a topical anesthetic before the shot so you won't even feel it. Just close your eyes and imagine puppy dogs and butterflies.
They will take impressions so that the crown matches your original tooth as much as possible. If it is broken, then I guess they do the best they can and try to match the surrounding teeth as well. There may be some smoothing/filing before it's perfect, but they'll ask you to bite down and will adjust the crown before the cement is "set". Good luck!

"Puppy dogs and butterflies"?? You must be a woman...
It's strange how it doesn't hurt at all when he injects the Novacaine in the rear gum area of my mouth but, when he does it in the side gums, OUCH!
Ok on the crown impression. I figured as much. None of my teeth are broken or chipped fortunately.

 

[ItalianScallion]

I'm set up for Monday morning. Thank you all for the info, it really helped. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[jp2854]

I'm set up for Monday morning. Thank you all for the info, it really helped. I'll let you know how it goes.

good luck with your teeth hopefully it all works out for you

 

[dems4me]

I'm set up for Monday morning. Thank you all for the info, it really helped. I'll let you know how it goes.

Good luck today!

 

[ItalianScallion]

Good luck today!

Thank you dems4me! You're soo kind to remember me in this.
By the time you wrote this post, I was done. He started numbing at 10:15 and it was relatively painless. The worst of the pain came about 3pm when the Novacaine started to wear off. Funny thing, it was actually the tooth next to it that was aching. It wasn't unbearable, just annoying. I kept rubbing my jaw in that area and that helped. And oh the smell of a tooth being ground down...
I've been eating soft stuff all day since I got home. One good thing came from this though: that tooth was really sensitive to cold foods and now it isn't, so that rocks!!
He said the permanent crown will be ready in @ 2 weeks. The temporary crown looks really good! Exactly like the original. Wonder why he had to even order another one??
Thanks again to all of you for the advice & your experiences.

 

[ginwoman]

Glad you made out OK Scallion

 

[ItalianScallion]

Glad you made out OK Scallion

Thank you soo much!