Emergency Dentist Refuses to Fix Someone Else’s Work

I had a crown done a few months ago. It’s been nothing but trouble. I’ve been back six times to have it adjusted because it keeps banging the upper teeth before the rest of my teeth which is painful. The last time he said there aren’t any more adjustments he can make. I hoped I’d adjust to the way it’s hitting but I didn’t get the chance. Yesterday, a chunk of the crown broke off. I decided to go to an emergency dentist to get this fixed because I’ve lost all confidence in my dentist. Unfortunately, instead, he refused to fix it and said all he’d do is replace it. Why is that? I hate the idea of starting over.

Cassie

Dear Cassie,

I’m perplexed by your dentist’s lack of care for the results of his work. He should know that your teeth need to meet uniformly, otherwise, it will cause problems (as you discovered). He should have adjusted or replaced the crown if he couldn’t get it to work properly, standing by his procedures.

As far as the emergency dentist goes, it’s very possible the crown couldn’t be repaired. As it was already seated too high, he may have noticed you’d need a completely new crown to enable your bite to meet flush with your other teeth.

Should You Get the Crown with the Emergency Dentist?

Now the question becomes what should you do—go back to your old dentist and have him replace it or have it done through the emergency dentist? I don’t blame you for losing confidence in your current dentist. I don’t even know him and have no confidence in his skills based on what you’ve described.

A dental crown should last a minimum of five years. Many last significantly longer. You are within your rights to ask for a refund. Either way, you’ll have to start over with a new porcelain crown. You have a chance of a more skilled dentist using the emergency dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Warren Kruchick.