Crowns Keep Falling Off

Can you help me? My dentist did a dental crown. I don’t know what type of material he used but it was done in one day. I didn’t get a temporary crown. My big problem is that it has fallen off three times. He’s tried three different cements. Now he’s suggesting I pull it and get a dental implant because some people have bites that can’t keep crowns in. A dental implant is much more expensive than a crown. Is this necessary or is there a way to get a crown?

Denise

Dear Denise,

I’m glad you wrote. A crown done the same day is a CEREC crown. These are great restorations that are milled by a computer. When done correctly, they will not fall out. In fact, the same is true of any crown. There are two main factors in regard to crown retention. One is the bonding material. The other is the shape of the crown. Of the two, it’s the shape of the crown that makes the most difference.

A slightly tapered crown can stay in with even the weakest bonding material. In that vein, an overly tapered crown would have trouble staying in with even the strongest cement. I’m a bit surprised you’re having trouble with a CEREC crown. Because they are milled by computer, they are usually much more accurate in the formation. For it to be formed incorrectly, your dentist would have had to used the software incorrectly.

Don’t extract your tooth and get a dental implant. First, you want to save a natural tooth whenever you can. Second, a dental implant is topped with… guess what? A crown. Why he’s suggesting that as an alternative to a crown makes no sense whatsoever.

My suggestion is that you just get a refund on this dental crown and go to a different dentist who knows how to do one, which would probably be just about any other dentist.

This blog is brought to you by friendly dentists in Lafayette, LA, Drs. Foreman and Thimmesch.