Can a Crown Replacement Be Done While Having Braces?

If you have a crown with recurrent caries, then it should be replaced as soon as possible.  With no bracket on this tooth it should be a very easy procedure.  If this tooth had a bracket on it, then it would be placed in a temporary until your braces were finished.  In your case, the final crown can be delivered very quickly.  

Since there is decay underneath the crown, the decay should be cleaned out as soon as possible.  Luckily, there's no bracket on that tooth, so it shouldn't interfere with the work of your braces.  But it's best to leave a temporary crown on the tooth after the decay has been cleaned out and finalize the crown after your teeth stop shifting.  Your orthodontist and your dentist should consult each other regarding the time to finalize the crown.  All the best, Dr. Elizabeth Jahanian

I am in agreement with my colleagues that you need to take care of your cavity under the crown.  Depending on what type of orthodontic(braces) treatment you are having, it may be to your advantage to have the tooth redone while in treatment.  You need to speak to your orthodontist and dentist and have them help you co-ordinate care.  If you are doing Invisalign then you must have new impressions when you work on a tooth so timing is important.  Great question!

If you have active decay under a crown you should have it replaced immediately, especially if the affected tooth is not directly part of the orthodontic treatment.  This can often be done with a CAD-CAM system to help avoid the need for an impression or temporary.

If there is decay under a crown you should not wait, the crown should be removed immediately and a new crown or temporary crown placed until the ortho is completed.  Waiting will only cause more problems.

If there’s decay, the crown should be replaced.   There’s no benefit of keeping the crown with decay under it.  With time the decay will only worsen and your tooth will suffer more damage.  I recommend you see a dentist for an evaluation at your earliest convenience.  Good Luck!

If there is decay under an old crown, it needs to be addressed as soon as possible.  This is especially true while you are wearing braces.  As you may be well aware, it is required to have a full dental exam and any decay removed to ensure a healthy mouth prior to initiating orthodontic treatment.  In your case, since there is no bracket or band on the tooth in question, the old crown and underlying decay can be removed and a temporary crown can be placed until your orthodontist approves the placement of your final crown.  The key is to get rid of the disease process and to prevent further issues.  Consult with your orthodontist as well as your general dentist to coordinate treatment timing to ensure optimal results. 

If there is decay under your existing crown, it needs a to be replaced immediately. Now a days replacement can start and finish in less than a week, some offices same day. However, If the orthodontist is anticipating such huge change in the position of the said tooth that  the crown later on has to be replaced once more, then you can have a temporary crown placed after removal and of cavities; leave on a temporary  crown, and  after ortho is completed,  finalize the preparation of the tooth for the permanent crown.

Radiographically determined decay under the existing crown during the orthodontic treatment  has to be treated. The best option in this situation is to consult with your orthodontist regarding the time frame and his intentions to change the occlusal relationship. Usually in the case when the tooth is not involved in treatment and has no brackets it can be covered with temporary crown which is usually cemented with long-term cement till the end of orthodontic movement. After the orthodontic treatment is complete and the occlusal relationship between the jaws are finalized the restorative dentist can make a final crown for this tooth.

If you have caries under your crown, waiting is not an option.  In my office I would most probably remove the old crown and underlying cavity, rebuild the tooth and place a provisional crown, cemented permanently.  This should give you time to complete the orthodontics before finishing the crown.