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I just got a new porcelain crown (after a chipped tooth -> root canal) on a relatively front tooth (4th from the front). My only crown, my only major dental work ever. $1300. Ouch.
The crown looks ok except it doesn't reach my gums! So it just kind of floats, with a small gap, and then my gums start. The dentist noticed it immediately when it put it on, and said that the gums will come down to meet the tooth.
Well, it's 10 days later, and the gums haven't relaxed around the tooth. Food gets stuck in there, and to me it is not very nice looking. I pointed it out to a friend and their response was... "The dentist messed up..."
Maybe if the crown was on a back tooth this wouldn't be noticeable/an issue, but this is visible every time I smile. I tried to look online for discussions, but found more issues about gums getting irritated by crowns that perhaps go too ?close to the gum.
I had planned on never returning to this dentist after getting frustrated with the 5 dental visits to get this done (?), mistakes in billing, and poor communication. But before I call him (and wait another month until he can squeeze me in), I though I'd see if anyone here has had this experience.
I suggest making an appointment with a local prosthodontist as they are restoration experts. If they think the crown is inappropriate, then request your money back. If you want more information, send me a PM. I may take a few days to answer as I am pretty busy these days.
Oh yeah, I am a dental malpractice claims adjuster and risk manager so I know the lay of the land.
I have two and they've been in for a long time. They've been reset twice but they are original and have never given me problems.
As in your case, they are in front, cosmetics become important. Initially they had a slight gap but the gap (if you can it that) became very thin. Food can get trapped in between teeth and on some occasions will get caught in that gap (like a tiny poppy seed from a muffin for example). For that, one of those rubber toothpicks or a toothbrush does the trick. You will find that a tooth with a crown deserves special attention, a lot of material was removed from that tooth to accommodate the crown and is no small deal to get right.
Crowns can be adjusted so before you get more frustrated and eventually angry, I suggest making that appointment sooner than later since you'll have to wait a bit and stop paying attention to what your friend says about it unless they are a Dentist.
As with any Dental procedure, it can take more than one or two visits to complete depending on what is going on. You didn't mention the appearance of the crown aside from the gap. If it looks good otherwise, an adjustment might just work out fine.
The billing issues shouldn't affect your opinion of the actual dental work. While related to the entire experience they are different things and different people perform those tasks. You goal is to get the crown's appearance to your liking right?
Be prepared to explain clearly what you don't like about the appearance and stay away from unclear observations or descriptions.
If you are expecting that food will never get stuck between the crown and gum line that isn't reasonable. Gums are flexible and food can get stuck in there. It depends on what kind of food, how often etc. Get a professional opinion, you won't find that here.
Call, make the appointment, explain the problem, get the resolution.
I suggest making an appointment with a local prosthodontist as they are restoration experts. If they think the crown is inappropriate, then request your money back. If you want more information, send me a PM. I may take a few days to answer as I am pretty busy these days.
Oh yeah, I am a dental malpractice claims adjuster and risk manager so I know the lay of the land.
Instead of going back to the Dentist after just the initial completion of setting the crown, go to someone else? That is poor advice.
There is no reason why the OP can't or should not go back to the Dentist and see about an adjustment. That Dentist told the OP that they expected the gums to relax and since they did not, it is entirely reasonable to explain that to the Dentist and see what course of action is recommended, before trying to get money back, running to someone else.
Both my two front teeth are fake (one porcelain crown, the other an implant).
I did not have a gap when they put it in at all. My only issue is that when my other tooth got knocked out, i lost some gum over it, so it's been uneven ever since. I do not believe your gums will ever "move down to meet it".
If your dentist refuses to work with you, I would file a complaint against him through a government agency if you can. It'll get his attention. Of course, after that, switch to a new dentist, but not before checking reviews online about prospective new dentists.
EDIT: I'm not a professional in any way, I only speak from personal experience. Lost gums when I was about 9, and I'm now 21, with absolutely no change in their structure, with dozens of dental visits to save a tooth, get crowns, retainer, bone grafting, etc.
Instead of going back to the Dentist after just the initial completion of setting the crown, go to someone else? That is poor advice.
There is no reason why the OP can't or should not go back to the Dentist and see about an adjustment. That Dentist told the OP that they expected the gums to relax and since they did not, it is entirely reasonable to explain that to the Dentist and see what course of action is recommended, before trying to get money back, running to someone else.
Sounds like ambulance chasing to me.
On the contrary, a second opinion is not only common in medicine but sometimes a good idea. I'll stand behind my suggestion 100%.
Thanks so much you guys for sharing your experiences in opinions - they are so helpful. Really... thanks a lot.
I am planning to call the dentist and possibly see him again. Just was hoping to have a little knowledge from others' experiences first, to know if my expectations are fair. I didn't know if crowns could be adjusted at this point, and thought that maybe there was supposed to be ?some gap...
I hesitate to see another dentist/doc, as I would rather not pay for it.... I've already laid out a lot of $$. If anyone should fix it, the first dentist should. Maybe I'm just a wimp, but I dread having to ask him to fix it...... it is kind of uncomfortable with this dentist, and I had already planned not to go back to him again. He is rushed, irritable and made so many mistakes on the billing. He had to reimburse me $200 by the end, and I had to resubmit part of the claim back to the insurance company because he coded it improperly so they denied it.... and he didn't "understand" what he did wrong. The dentist does his own billing and does a crappy job.
I compare going to my dentist like going to a car mechanic.... I feel helpless since this isn't my area of expertise, often the dentist/mechanic is a bit condescending and doesn't explain things well.... and then you have to always wonder whether you are being taken advantage of. Just hate it....
The crown looks ok in shape, although the color match isn't great. I hadn't realized until after I read about crowns later what an "art" it is.... The crown is very white near the "bottom" part closest to the gumline (more white then the other teeth), so it "jumps" out at you when you look at it and actually makes the gap more obvious. Just unfortunate....
Not a dentist, just chiming in with my experience, I had two crowns put in the front and neither had any gap between the crown and the gums. If they did, I would have assumed something was wrong with the crown and asked for it to be adjusted. I don't know about gums coming down to meet the crown but again, not a dentist. Maybe if the dentist had pushed the gums back a bit or something in the first place? I hope you get it all straightened out anyway, I know your pain, I've been having a cruddy year with dental issues myself. Good luck!
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