Is It Okay for the Metal Part of the Crown to Be Exposed at the Top of the Tooth? (photo)

Question

During the wisdom teeth removal a crown popped off and was reattached. Afterwards, that side felt higher than before; a very uncomfortable bite. They used a drill on the crown and the tooth above it to help that. My bite is now okay but I was told that the porcelain on the crown is partially gone, exposing metal. Is it okay? Will having metal exposed change my experience eating or even damage the opposing tooth? Should ask them to replace the crown altogether? It's been there for 6ys. Thank you!

Norman Huefner, DDS · Answer

If the crown felt fine before being recemented, and then needed adjustment, it is possible that the crown did not go back to the original position.  This might be a problem if there is now an open margin.  You should ask your dentist to take an x-ray to see if it now fits properly.

	Regarding metal showing on the surface, that may not cause any problems except if the surrounding porcelain is thinner there it may have a higher potentially to chip more in the future.

Peter Rinaldi, DMD · Answer

The most important thing is that the bite feels good. Exposing the metal on the biting surface poses no harm to the tooth. It becomes only a cosmetic issue. The only other concern is that if the crown fit well prior to coming off, was it then high because it did not seat all the way when cemented. An x-Ray can verify this.

Is It Okay for the Metal Part of the Crown to Be Exposed at the Top of the Tooth? (photo)

Answers (2)