If you have root resorption, external or internal, will crowning over teeth do any good? Will the crowns not fail later?

Question

My husband teeth are just crumbling away. Getting smaller & smaller. He see's the dentist soon. Our dentist is all about crowns. I want to know if he does have resorption of either kind, is crowning over his teeth going to do any good. Crowning over his teeth in my opinion isn't taking care of the resorption. I don't know. Just seeking advice from another doctor. I would hate to crown all these teeth to find out later they all have to be removed (money wasted) & more work needs to be done.

Sarah Thompson, DMD · Answer

You have posed a great question.  Without x-rays of your husband's teeth, it is pretty difficult to estimate whether his teeth will fall out or need to be removed 5, 10, 15, 20 years from now.  You mentioned that your dentist is "all about crowns," so I sense that you have significant trust issues with your dentist.  I suggest getting 2 or 3 additional opinions from excellent cosmetic dentists that can look at his roots and tell you whether his teeth are worth crowning.  As a rule of thumb, I recommend crowns on damaged teeth with root resorption, as long as the teeth are not mobile (i.e., as long as they don't wiggle).  If the root is long enough to keep the tooth stable, then it is a great idea to crown the tooth because you probably have another 10-20 years of usage out of that tooth.  Good luck and I hope this helps. Follow me if you have more questions.Sarah Thompson, DMD

Norman Huefner, DDS · Answer

Internal and external resorption is generally easy to diagnose with dental x-rays.  Just because your husband's teeth are crumbling away by no means implies that there is resorption, more likely that there is decay.However, if resorption, the treatment is generally root canal and possible gum surgery and a crown restoration.Dentists don't always know "why" root resorption occurs, but many speculate that it is due to some history of trauma to the teeth.Neither you nor I can diagnose your husbands problem.  For proper diagnosis and treatment options, he would to have current x-rays and a dental exam.  If in doubt, get a couple opinions.

If you have root resorption, external or internal, will crowning over teeth do any good? Will the crowns not fail later?

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If you have root resorption, external or internal, will crowning over teeth do any good? Will the crowns not fail later?

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Everything you need to know about Dental Crown

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