I have had crowns for many years. I’m afraid one of them is failing. It’s always been a little off. There was a divot. The dentist said it was normal. Lately, it’s developed a dark line and it feels like it’s caved a little. Do I need to get an emergency appointment?
Cecilia D. – Colorado
Cecilia,
Your dentist is right that it’s normal for crowns to have minor defects such as divots. Our natural teeth sometimes have the same defects. They often go our whole lifetimes without a problem. However, crowns aren’t meant to last a lifetime, like our teeth. I wouldn’t consider it a dental emergency. However, I would talk to your dentist and have him look at it.
You’re right that it may be failing. The dark line may mean that it’s cracked. It could last for a bit, but you don’ t want it to turn into a dental emergency. That rarely happens at a convenient time. It’s better to be proactive. You’ve said you’ve had these crowns for a while. It might be a good idea to have your dentist check all of them, just to see how much time they have. It may be more convenient for you to replace them all at once.
You’ve said you’ve had these dental crowns for a while. It might be a good idea to have your dentist check all of them, just to see how much time they have. It may be more convenient for you to replace them all at once, rather than being stuck going to the dentist over and over again to replace the crowns one at a time. Though, sometimes, financially, that is the most feasible option. If that’s the case, don’t feel bad. Just be upfront with the dentist so he or she knows how to best plan out your care.
I don’t know how many crowns you have, but once you have the crowns re-done, they can’t be changed. So, this is not required, but if you want to do anything like teeth whitening, you’ll want to do it before you get your crowns re-done. You can match the crowns to the new whiter color. You won’t be able to change color on the crown once they’re done.
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