I’ve got a broken crown which has been a disaster since day one. My dentist gave me a crown. It didn’t feel normal when he first put it in but he said it’s just because it’s new to me. So, I decided to try and get used to it. I didn’t. It was so painful, I couldn’t bite down and eat. He adjusted it a few times, it never helped. Then I chipped it. Not sure how, I was just eating chicken. Now it broke off completely. I don’t trust my dentist anymore, so I went to an emergency dentist. But, he refused to bond it on and said he’d need to make me a completely new one. That sounds a little pretentious to me. So what if it wasn’t his crown? It’s just a bonding. I don’t want to re-do something I’ve already paid for. What are my options?
Livvy E.
Dear Livvy,
Why Wouldn’t the Emergency Dentist Help You?
I completely understand your frustration. It doesn’t sound like your dentist took you seriously at all. Not to mention his skill seems to be lacking. However, I’m not sure the dentist you saw during your emergency was refusing because he wasn’t the original designer of your dental crown. Though I’m not a mind reader, I’d be willing to guess that he didn’t think the crown would hold up and he felt it needed replacing.
You already mentioned that it had chipped, which tells me something is definitely wrong with this crown if all you were doing is eating chicken.
What Should You Do Now?
You have three possible choices right now. First, give your current dentist another chance to make things right. Though, I do understand your reluctance to work with him after your experience. If you’re adamant not to, your second choice is to ask him for a refund.
You haven’t mentioned how long you’ve had the crown. But, at a minimum, a dental crown should last at least five years. Anything less than that and it shouldn’t be too hard to get a refund, especially if the other dentist will vouch that it was in definite need of replacement. If you don’t like either of those, you’ll be stuck just paying to have someone else do the crown.
Due to your dentist’s lack of skill, I also worry he doesn’t think ahead to his patient’s needs. I’m going to mention something to you in case he hasn’t. If teeth whitening is something you’ve ever considered and the dental crown is on a visible tooth, there are two things to be aware of. 1. Visible teeth require an all-porcelain crown. Metal-based crowns end up looking poorly. They have to be made more opaque which looks unnatural and they always develop a gray line at the gumline. 2. Once the crown is completed, you cannot change its color. If teeth whitening is to be done, you should do it before the crown is permanently bonded on. One of the best teeth whitening systems is KöR Whitening. It’s strong and effective.
This blog is brought to you by Portage, MI Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.