Dental Crown

[ripper1]

I have this gold dental crown in bottom set of teeth all the way in back. I think it is about 30 years old. Well, it came off and was re-cemented by my dentist twice. Now it has come off again and dentist recommends a new crown. I'm thinking not replacing it. He said it was up to me but there could be a problem there down the road. It feels fine without and thinking maybe it is a vanity thing at this point. Any others here ever decided to leave off a cap or crown?

[MBAustin]

Personally I would not as it would mess up the overall bite and thus put extra strain on other teeth which can cause problems.

[Telly]

I would go with a new crown without delay. But the underlying tooth needs to be a platform that can still be worked with. The underlying tooth about to receive a crown (Oh, a Coronation! ) is usually worked on to create a peg that will help locate the crown above, and improve durability and retainment. Really, a structural issue.

I would not leave a crown off, sounds like a road to disaster. The tooth underneath, what's left of it, is not meant to be exposed, other than the sides that are not covered by the crown.
Sounds like a careful inspection is needed, though that may have already been accomplished and wrapped into "need a new crown".

[eytonxav]

Aside from what has been pointed out above, I would assume going uncovered is not an option just due to the pain you would experience with the nerve being much closer to the surface and more sensitive. I also imagine the newer materials would be more cosmetically pleasing.

[Texas Proud]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFW_M5 Aside from what has been pointed out above, I would assume going uncovered is not an option just due to the pain you would experience with the nerve being much closer to the surface and more sensitive. I also imagine the newer materials would be more cosmetically pleasing.

Might not have a nerve there.... I have 2 crowns and both required a root canal...

[euro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texas Proud Might not have a nerve there.... I have 2 crowns and both required a root canal...

Nevertheless, the exposed base will be cracked and destroyed very quickly without the cap (re-re-re-glued old cap or a new $1500 cap....). THEN, you will deal with a dental implant or some sort of rig that will cost a lot more.

[braumeister]

FWIW, when my dentist replaces a gold crown he gives me an envelope to send it in to a place that recycles the gold. Last time I got a check for $2 from them.

I definitely agree on getting the new crown. Going without one would be taking frugality past any reasonable limits.

[Aerides]

A missing tooth or crown on the bottom can mean a potential issue to the tooth on the top. It could start to drop itself, if it no longer "meets" with its partner on a regular basis, or become prone to infection.

[HadEnuff]

retired dentist here:
if it's the last tooth in the arch, and you don't want to pay money to maintain it, you'll be fine without it, but I wouldn't just leave an unrestored tooth back there to cause problems. If you aren't going to restore it, you should have it extracted.

Some important factors to consider though:
Does it have a root canal? This minimizes some of the problems you might have, but not all, and if not restored, you should have it extracted.
Why is the crown coming off? is there adequate tooth structure left to retain a new restorative effort? Does your dentist feel confident that there is adequate structure, and confident in the health of the tooth?
Sometimes we "reach", and restore a tooth with questionable long term chances. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It's not bad dentistry if it doesn't, as long as the patient has been advised of the existence of less than great outcomes.

What does the rest of that quadrant look like? Do you have a lot of healthy strong teeth to do a tad more of the work than they would have to do if that tooth were strong and functional?

These are things you might want to discuss with your dentist before deciding upon a course of action.

Good Luck

[easysurfer]

Might feel okay at the moment, but I'd be afraid of decay down the road if not covered with a crown.

[OldShooter]

I have recently become a patient and proponent of our local university's dental school clinic. The care is unbiased; nobody is trying to sell you anything. The care is quality-controlled with expert professors reviewing all work. It's even cheaper/like half, which is nice but is not the main attraction for me. I have been told that some university dental school clinics are even free.

Anyway, I would suggest scheduling an appointment (like here: https://dentistry.uic.edu/patients) and ask them your question. An individual private-practice dentist is like a commissioned salesperson who really believes in his/her product. That creates what the economists call a "moral hazard" -- are recommendations in the patients' best interest or in the dentists' best interest?

[imoldernu]

or... DIY....

https://www.amazon.com/Zinc-Oxide-Eu...gateway&sr=8-5

Same process dentists use. Check reviews.

[mn54]

Quote:

Originally Posted by imoldernu or... DIY.... https://www.amazon.com/Zinc-Oxide-Eu...gateway&sr=8-5 Same process dentists use. Check reviews.

ZOE is a temporary material. This is not what we would use to permanently cement a crown on.

[Corporateburnout]

If it's the last tooth I would have it extracted. I just paid $1500 for a crown on one of my last teeth but since the core build up process it's been sensitive to cold even before the permanent crown was installed. The dentist stated that the sensitivity would go away when the permanent crown is installed. it's been a couple of months but no improvement.

I'm not planning to have a root canal if the problem continues I will have it extracted instead.

[pb4uski]

In process of having my first crown on my next to last tooth on the bottom left.... has been prepped and has temporary crown and am awaiting the permanent crown.

I would not let it go without a crown... sound like just inviting trouble.

How much would a new crown cost?

[Montecfo]

Speaking of cost, I had a crown break. Insurance would not cover replacement. Dentist offered a 40% discount to replace without insurance

I declined. It is still working ok. I guess it is mostly intact. No pain. Will replace eventually.

[Rianne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HadEnuff retired dentist here: if it's the last tooth in the arch, and you don't want to pay money to maintain it, you'll be fine without it, but I wouldn't just leave an unrestored tooth back there to cause problems. If you aren't going to restore it, you should have it extracted. Some important factors to consider though: Does it have a root canal? This minimizes some of the problems you might have, but not all, and if not restored, you should have it extracted. Why is the crown coming off? is there adequate tooth structure left to retain a new restorative effort? Does your dentist feel confident that there is adequate structure, and confident in the health of the tooth? Sometimes we "reach", and restore a tooth with questionable long term chances. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It's not bad dentistry if it doesn't, as long as the patient has been advised of the existence of less than great outcomes. What does the rest of that quadrant look like? Do you have a lot of healthy strong teeth to do a tad more of the work than they would have to do if that tooth were strong and functional? These are things you might want to discuss with your dentist before deciding upon a course of action. Good Luck

Won't teeth move if there's a blank space. I understand if it's the last tooth, but seems like there would be instability. I have 11 crowns and it seems my teeth adjusted a little with each one. They're pretty straight all around, but over time they seem to move.

[wolf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HadEnuff retired dentist here: if it's the last tooth in the arch, and you don't want to pay money to maintain it, you'll be fine without it, but I wouldn't just leave an unrestored tooth back there to cause problems. If you aren't going to restore it, you should have it extracted. Some important factors to consider though: Does it have a root canal? This minimizes some of the problems you might have, but not all, and if not restored, you should have it extracted. Why is the crown coming off? is there adequate tooth structure left to retain a new restorative effort? Does your dentist feel confident that there is adequate structure, and confident in the health of the tooth? Sometimes we "reach", and restore a tooth with questionable long term chances. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It's not bad dentistry if it doesn't, as long as the patient has been advised of the existence of less than great outcomes. What does the rest of that quadrant look like? Do you have a lot of healthy strong teeth to do a tad more of the work than they would have to do if that tooth were strong and functional? These are things you might want to discuss with your dentist before deciding upon a course of action. Good Luck

Great clear response, from one who knows !

OP, follow the advice given.

[imoldernu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mn54 ZOE is a temporary material. This is not what we would use to permanently cement a crown on.

I agree with HadEnuff and that post, and perhaps not a permanent solution, but according to Wiki, something that dentists may use. I have used the material on broken teeth, crowns, and cavities In lieu of hundred of dollars for each dentist visit. Not perfect, but for five years, I've been able to dodge major dental bills. Have to occasionally replace a "fix", but at my age, not a big deal.

You can decide....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc_oxide_eugenol

FWIW, the common temporary dental repair $3 packages at Walmart, are just that ... Temporary, but in MHO an okay temp fix before seeing a dentist.

[mountainsoft]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HadEnuff Sometimes we "reach", and restore a tooth with questionable long term chances. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

I had an upper molar (#2) chip a few years ago, seemed minor to me, but my dentist said it couldn't be repaired and recommended extraction. I asked for a second opinion, and the other dentist said it "might" be fixable. Emotionally I wasn't prepared to start losing teeth, so my dentist went ahead with the crown. Four years later it's still doing well with no issues. I don't chew much that far back so it's not under a lot of stress anyway. Even if it fails in the future, I was able to keep that tooth a few more years.