Tacoma Dental Crown doctors
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Lance Timmerman, DMD
Seattle Cosmetic Dentist
7100 Fort Dent Way Suite 270, Seattle |
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33 answers |
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Michael Koczarski, DDS
Tacoma Cosmetic Dentist
17000 140th Ave NE Suite 202, Woodinville |
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Kunal Walia, DDS
Tacoma Cosmetic Dentist
13613 Meridian Ave E Suite 180, Puyallup |
Recent Answers
I am 46 y.o. and have many root canals and crowns (molars only). The overall appearance of my teeth is very nice and I receive compliments often on my smile. I told the dentist I am unhappy with the old molars (done by someone else, we've moved and this is a new dentist for me). The old molars are discolored and I was looking to replace them closer to uniform whiteness throughout. He immediately suggested crowning every tooth in my mouth. I saw no examples of veneers in his portfolio. Thx!
The suggestion to replace the old crowns may be correct, but the only choice is to be crowns again, as veneering on top of crowns is often a bad idea. In the front, where there seems to be no current restorations, veneers should be explored. If the dentist says they can't be done, it may be an indication that they don't know how to do them or understand the bonding process. The goal should be a conservative approach, as in doing the least amount of treatment needed to achieve the goal.
When a plan for a full mouth of crowns is suggested, and the explanation from the dentist seems odd, a second opinion (with clinical exam) is a good idea. It is POSSIBLE that you have been given correct advice, but with an investment like this, you should be 100% comfortable with the decision.
Once the tooth receives a crown can that tooth keep getting a crown replaced on it every 15 years or so or does a point come when the person loses that tooth early. I ask because I'm only 19 and got 3/4 crowns for two teeth recently, can these teeth keep getting crowns or will I lose them much sooner than my other teeth and need extraction and implants?
Fortunately, crowns are among the longest lasting restorations we have, and you may find some last up to 20-30 years. Some, much less.
There are many factors to longevity of crowns, not limited to if a person clenches, grinds their teeth while they sleep, hygiene habits, periodontal condition, material of the crown, and so on.
Each time the tooth is worked on, some tooth structure is removed. It is a good idea for the dentist to be as conservative as possible to allow future work if needed and to avoid the pulp/nerve.
At age 19, you are wise to be aware that these are not the last crowns these teeth will have, perhaps 2 or 3 more times. It is good that they are only 3/4 crowns now, which will allow future work to be done.
I have read that porcelain doesn't stain much, but in most of the pictures I have seen where old crowns have been replaced the new shade is significantly whiter. Is this due to lighter shades of porcelain being used now to keep up with the whitening fad, or did these old crowns actually stain that much?
