Having Crown Problems, What Should I Do?

It is rare for a dentist to grind away too much tooth especially if the tooth needed a build-up.  Teeth that need build-ups are more likely to be sensitive due to amount of tooth being replaced and proximity to the pulp.  

The patient is never a bother, and I would suggest first seeeing your original dentist and letting her know how you felt.  She may have been having a bad day or running behind schedule.

The scenario you describe is why I love CEREC crowns that are done in a single day with no temps and no second appointment needing anaesthetic There is much less sensitivity, you rarely need build ups, and the fit is amazing and the tooth is not exposed to bacteria for weeks.  There is a steep learning curve with CEREC so you may not want to be one of the first patients.  

 

If you and your dentist are not relating well together and you have lost confidence, then it is not inappropriate for you to seek another opinion from a different dentist.  Suggest you ask your original dentist for copies of your x-rays before you see the second dentist.  If all your new crown needs is some simple adjustment, then advise doing that, staying with the new dentist and getting on with your life and try to forget your unpleasant experience.  If your crown needs to be redone, then things get a little more difficult when asking for a refund from the original dentist.  Usually if a dentist knows or sees something wrong with his treatment he will be quick to give you a refund.  If he thinks he did everything right and neither x-rays or clinical examination shows anything to the contrary, then it might be much more difficult to expect a refund.

It is unlikely a new dentist would want to touch a crown that they have not placed themselves. They will probably offer to redo that crown for you at at additional fee. If you want to avoid this you can ask your current dentist and see if they will redo the crown for you since you are not satisfied.

The problem here is lack of communication. If you already lost that, there is not much to do. I suggest you get another opinion. Stay with a doctor that communicates even if something its not going right or if there is a technical problem.

Sorry to hear about your unpleasant experience. At times, dentists compromise in hopes of  to saving money for the patient or feel the need  to adhere to insurance restrictions for the patient's benefit and do not offer or perform the optimum treatment. They mean well, but then it back fires where no one is happy. If the dentist shaved down the opposing tooth, and if your tooth under the crown required a build up, my guess if that :

1) Your tooth was very much broken up, it had decay, soft enamel, crack, old failing restorations usually silver filings or all of the above.  

OR

2) Your bite is tight, and there simply was not enough room for the tooth to be shaved down in order to make room for a crown . Had you been given that option? Your tooth could have benefited from a root canal, so that your dentist could accomplish the following:

A) Prep the tooth very low and  to make  room for the crown to fit in your tight bite.

B) Make sure that the tooth would have long term result since the more surface area a crown has , the longer it lasts.

C) Leave enough porcelain on the chewing surface on your crown not chips and not have to be adjusted, nor having to adj opposing tooth. 

D) Never have to worry about the tooth being sensitive in the future and having to get the root canal anyway 1 year down the road, destroying the crown and having to remake it again in the near future.

But you see,  if she/he told you to do a root canal, you would have thought " why? my tooth does not hurt...., but many times root canals should be done in order to make room for the crown, in order to make a better crown, and in order to prevent future problems. I am afraid that even if you go to another dentist, he or she will have the same problem.

Now , suppose the above is not the case. Then what you are dealing with  is basically an inferior  quality of dentistry. In this case, you  need to get a second opinion, once you know the whole story,  and that  indeed the original dentist has not provided the best work given the condition of your tooth ( because remember, we can only give you a great result if we have enough tooth to work with)   , kindly call your original dentist and request your records to be sent elsewhere, and ask for a refund. Explain to them about the findings of the new dentist. Even better ask the new dentist to contact your original one so they can figure out the best option for you. Most dentists will not work on a tooth that some other dentist has started, and they would want to do it over again, and most dentists will refund the patient if in fact there was an error in their judgment or performance.  

I usually pick up the phone and have a conversation with my colleagues. It is always best when two doctors talk. However, not all dentist will take the time to do so, nor do they want to get involved. Which is sad because only "good" can come out of such communications if the doctors could put their "ego"s aside. And hopefully patients assume responsibility and hold themselves accountable as well. After all people's dental conditions are their responsibility as to how they have managed to take care of their dental issues all their lives.

Best of luck to you, and remember dentistry is not an exact science, and dentist are human beings just like you with their bad days and good days and all the same life issues as you. No one is perfect and we all have done things in our lives that have not been the best we could deliver.  We just hope to learn and grow from those experiences.