How long should a Crown last? Should I be charged for replacement?

Question

Semi-long story. I had a filling done on a molar in Sept 06. In Feb 07 the dentist said they should have done a crown instead so we scheduled to have the crown done in March 07 and they credited me for the filling. Now the same dentist is telling me the crown is bad and has to be redone (it has an overhang or something like that). I asked if I would be charged since it has only been 7 months and they said they couldn't tell me until after they remove the old crown. Can they charge me when it's only been half a year since they did the original crown? I dont want this to become a cycle of having the same tooth redone every six months and being charged $500 every time.

It is a porcelain crown. I work for the county and have a good dental plan. I guess I'm lucky. I thought it was expensive when I got it. They gave me a choice of porcelain on steel (I think it was steel) for $495 or porcelain on gold for $800 or so.

Answer 1

No, you shouldn't be charged. As the above respondent says, you can get overhangs if there is a mistake either on the part of the lab or the dentist, and it has nothing to do with you.
The fit of the crown should be checked at time of fitting. If it doesn't fit properly, then it shouldn't be cemented.
Nor should it matter how long ago it was done, be it yesterday or 5 years ago. If it wasn't noticed at time of cementation, then the overhang would be noticed at subsequent bitewing X-rays at say, 2 years. And then I would redo it for no charge.

Answer 2

I am going to have to disagree with the other RDA about crowns not having overhangs. Because I have seen it first hand on an x-ray more than once. Are they supposed to have an overhang? No, they are not. If they overhang off the prep or do not cover the prep completely, this is not a good fitting crown, and never should have been cemented.

Usually when a dentist tries in a crown, he takes an x-ray to check the fit of the crown. I have seen some dentists check the fit just by feel, and I don't think this is the best way, as it may "look" like a crown fits, but in fact the crown doesn't fit all the way down on the tooth, it has an overhang, or a gap between the margin of the crown and the tooth.

When this happens, it allows bacteria to get under the edge of the crown, which allows decay to form. Even if a dentist does take an xray before he cements a crown, there is a slight chance that even if the xray shows the crown fits properly, that it actually doesn't. The reason for this is, a tooth can be x-rayed from different angles, and even if the crown appeared to fit properly from one angle, it might have showed to not fit right if the xray was of a different angle. However, most dentists don't take 3-4 different angles of a tooth, when they are trying a crown on. They might take 2, and that is usually only if they take one and it appears that the crown doesn't fit, so they make adjustments to it, and then re-try it on, and take another x-ray.

Normally, most dental experts are in agreement that the average lifespan of a crown is between 10-20 yrs, though that depends on what the crown is made of and the patients habits. A person who grinds their teeth severly, who doesn't care for their teeth properly (including yearly cleanings, flossing daily, and brushing at least 2 times a day), or a person who has a high sugar intake, may find themselves on the lower end of that guildline. Then again, I have seen patients with crowns over 20 yrs. old, and I tell them that they should consider themselves lucky. The only bad thing is, you sometimes don't know that a crown has a problem, until it comes off, begins hurting, or a dentist sees a problem on an xray.

If you were in my office, and we knew from looking at an xray, that your crown had an overhang or a gap, we would redo it at no charge to you. Especially if it had only been 6 months since it was done.

Answer 3

I completely understand what you're saying. Why should you pay for something the dentist did wrong? I'm a Registered Dental Assistant I'm currently working at a Periodontist office. But when I worked at a General dental office when a crown was done & anything went wrong- it had to be less then 3 months the dentist would redo it at no charge. But every dentist works differently & charges differently. Plus, just for your information, overhangs are not good. Overhang is a piece of the crown that is not serving any purpose other than causing food to get stuck underneath your crown and your gum, which later cause a deep pocket. Pockets are no good either. Pockets are the depth of your gums & if you have deep pockets is because you have gum disease. Overhangs will later cause discomfort to your gum. Your dentist probably wants to see if it can be a minor adjustment made by the lab. But what ever you decide, remember, overhang is a part of your crown that is serving no purpose that later will cause a deep pocket or discomfort because food will get caught underneath it. Next time you see him make sure you ask many questions. Have them ready ahead of time so you won't forget. And don't leave his office w/doubts. If he made this crown, he should've seen the overhang on the same day he cemented it in your mouth. Why did it take him 7 months to see that overhang?

Answer 4

Crowns can't have overhangs; fillings can.

If, when the dentist was about to insert the crown back in March, there was a problem, he shouldn't have cemented it in... a new impression should have been taken for a new one.

Also, all decay should have been removed prior to the impression...

It's either the dentist's fault (my guess) or the lab's... certainly not yours. I'd argue that it should be replaced for free, no matter how inexpensive it is..

PS to you: Is it a stainless steel crown or a porcelain crown? The reason I ask is because the fee isn't as high as I would expect.

Answer 5

I don't think you should be charged. Crowns, depending on where they are and what they're made of last a minimum of 10-15 years. Molars up to 30.
Seems to me that this was either the fault of the dental lab or the dentist fouled up when he put the crown in.

Answer 6

Sounds like the dentist or the lab messed up. Either dentist did not make correct impressions or lab did not make the crown correctly from the impression.

ps: $500.00 for a crown is pretty cheap.

Answer 7

there are an excellent style of "C" pupils accessible contained in the actual international. you opt for a sparkling dentist. A crown is designed to very last 5 years, yet they do very last more as a wide-spread rule. in case you probably did not specifically ask and then do an inspection your self on the crown before it become placed, you had amalgam (mercury) coating less than the crown floor before it become put in. ALL AMALGAM fillings have bacterial boom on them and reason the teeth to become worse over the years. the basis canal become maximum likely performed by technique of filling the canals with gutta percha. it really is a latex cloth that does no longer provide up bacterial boom and all and multiple with that variety of work receives the booby prize, yet very few human beings have any expertise of this. The bacteria pass down into the jaw bone less than the basis tip by technique of way of the basis ligament (usually) and infect the bone leaving you with "NICO" (neuralgia brought about cavitational osteonecrosis) or deterioration of the jaw bone. there is no soreness fascinated by this, so that is exceeded over by technique of our illustrious dental adult adult males, yet you get that booby prize, undesirable health. the very perfect element you may do is to get a CERAMIC IMPLANT, no longer the Titanium garbage that all and multiple is telling you is powerful. The newly FDA approved, Ceramic implants are biocompatible, compared to the Titanium ones, and your gums easily strengthen up around the Ceramic like your genuine teeth do. The Ceramic is more suitable than the titanium implants and far more suitable everlasting. also, in basic terms an aside, in case your dentist, in all her expertise, used Lidocaine, procaine, carbocaine, etc. to deaden the nerve, you acquire yet another booby prize, aniline homologs or AGGRESSIVELY carcinogenic pollution put on your body. 2 CC of that junk is the same as you smoking a p.c.. of cigarettes an afternoon for 12.9 years. it really is each and every 2 cc shot! And that is cumulative. Septocaine is the in basic terms aniline chemical that does no longer produce those aniline homologs. strong luck to you