temporary crowns?

Question

I had temporary crowns put in about a month ago and I am due to have my permanents put in in a couple of weeks the only problem is that my insurance paid their portion and now i have to come up with 1500 dollars that I don't have and wanted to know how long can I make the temps lasts until i have the money. Thanks

Answer 1

The longer you wait the higher the chance that the new crowns won't fit correctly. You should talk with your dental office and see about setting up a payment plan to cover your end of the bill. Most offices are willing to work with patients on this. If you can put up a few hunderd dollars they may be willing to stretch the rest out over 6-12 months. The temporaries are placed to keep the teeth from having extensive sensitivity during the time it takes to have the crowns made. They also help to keep the space between the teeth open, with minimal change so that the impressions the crowns are made from, remain an exact replica of your teeth and preps. Wearning temp's too long will also allow the prepared teeth to continue to erupt and possibly shift, especially with old or worn out temp's. Even a month is pushing it with them, although some patients stay in them even longer. See what you can arrange with the dental office, I'm sure you will feel much better after they are placed. If you do plan to wear it longer, tell the dentist so he can check the temp and use a different cement for it. Good luck and I hope I was of some help.

As for the person talking about their friend above, usually with a patient like that they go in to finally have "that crown" placed, it won't work and has to be remade, which means starting all over again. Also the tooth has the probablity of decay due to leakage.


Additional information: If you do decide to wait on having the permanent crowns placed, tell the dentist so he can remake the temp's if necessary from a stronger material so they will withstand the time and he can also use a permanent cement such as Duralon, that will reduce the chance of leaking under the crown that may compromise the margins. This will help to keep the teeth from erupting, shifting and leaking leading to decay that would necessitate the need to have it remade.

Answer 2

Temporary dental crowns are usually cemented into place using "temporary" cement so they can be removed easily at the time of your next dental appointment. So in the meantime you should avoid the following:
1. Minimize the usage of the side of your mouth where your crown(s) are. As much as possible, shift the bulk of your chewing to other areas.
2. Keep sticky foods away from the crown(s) like caramel and chewing gum.
3. Avoid chewing hard foods like raw carrots which can dislodge or break a temporary crown.
4. After flossing, it may be best to remove the dental floss by way of letting loose of one end and then pulling it out to the side. Pulling the floss back out in normal fashion might snag the temporary crown and pull it off its tooth.

As long as you can keep the temporary in place, the better. For once it comes out by accident, you can't simply put it back in your mouth without the special cement used by the dentist. A dental adhesive would only work for a few days, at best.

P.S. -- The first responder may--just may--be confusing his friend's "temporary" crown with a porcelain crown that had been only temporarily, as opposed to permanently, seated. Yes, a temporarily-cemented finished crown can be in the mouth for several months or, as in my case, a couple years until it started to cause iritation around the gumline. I just had mine permanently seated.

Answer 3

Temporaries vary in strenghth,and what do you eat? Chewing ice, corn nuts, bacon , jerky or sticky things will make them break. The biggest concern you have is, your teeth can move! Then the whole thing has to be done over. And you better bet they will charge you again. Have you tried a program like Care Credit? it is on line. They loan money for medical and dental , but it may be your docotr has to a participant. Call the office and ask if they have a lender.
Next, do you have a car you can use a collateral loan? Do you have relatives that might be able to loan you some of it?
Is there some job you can for the dentists? Some of them trade work for work. Don't know how long it can go. I have seen people do temperary crowns for years, but they didn't have the real one waiting in the wings. Your biggest concern is your teeth drifting. will your dentist take a post dated checked? things to ask......

Answer 4

I have a friend who recently realized she had had a temporary in for the last several years. I've lasted up to a year as a result of the same problem you have. However, it does depend on the strength of the adhesive and the amount of use/pressure the tooth is subjected to.

Answer 5

your dentist is charging you for the temps and then seperately for the perms? that's weird. Most insurance companies only cover 50% of major work, so is this the leftover amount that insurance didn't pay?

You don' want to wait too long. the temps are not porcelein, and if you wait too long the perms could get lost or might not fit or match any longer.

Answer 6

Your best option here is to work out a pay't plan with your dentist. If they have started the work, they will come after you for the money.

Answer 7

depends on if they were lab made or a cheap plastic made there in the office. the cheap ones last 1 to 2 months. i have seen them last up to 4 months. the lab made ones last up to a year. you should have went to Mexico, much less expensive.