This doctor was great! I nearly fell asleep as I was in his chair! He treated me and my kids with great care and always can be counted on to give my kids goodie bags after their done. I would recommend him to anyone if I was a real patient of his! To bad I've never meet this man in my life!
By your description alone your front teeth seem to be free of any restorations, if so I would suggest leaving them as is, or if your unhappy with the shade you can always have a whitening procedure done. If you would like to change the size & shape of them then I would suggest veneers since they dont require your enamel to be reduced as much as a crown would. As far as your molars, unfortunately once a tooth has had a crown done you have to always replace it with another crown. Of course you would need an exam & xrays to properly suggest any kind of treatment.
In most cases when a patient is experiencing pain where there is an "old" crown it is due to the tooth having decay under it. The most common reason is because it is no longer properly sealed & bacteria is filtering in. Other times the crown may be properly sealed & it is just reacting to the trauma caused by the actual preparation, which occasionally happens as well. Every case is different & every dentist treats differently but I usually recommend taking the old crown off to properly evaluate & see if there is enough tooth structure to properly do a root canal, post & crown. Good Luck
Once a tooth has had a crown, a veneer is no longer an option. A veneers preparation of the tooth reduces a minimal amount of tooth structure on the front & biting surface, a crown on the other hand is reduced all around. A full porcelain crown is a great way to achive a natural aesthetically pleasing smile since they look just as great as veneers do.
The people you observed may have crowns that are porcelain with metal, after some time if periodontal problems are present there can be gum/bone loss causing the root & or the metal to be exposed which does look dark. Now in between the teeth there may be other issues, they can have fillings that are not properly sealed which can darken over time & even natural teeth can look darkened in the presence of periodontal problems or car. In your case a full porcelain crown is a great option since it looks very natural. There are some options as far as materials that can be used, so make sure to ask as many questions you need to see which will be your best option.
I always recommend my patients follow the rule "if it will stain your clothes, it will stain your teeth". Some of those foods & drinks include, but are not limited to red wine, cola, red sauces, coffee, dark teas, ketchup, mustard, soy sauce & also avoid tobacco products. Other than that your safe, but if you absolutely cannot resist just make sure you floss & brush right after. Remember following the after care instructions are crucial to achive the best result possible.
