Anyone have experience with dental crowns? Advice?

[greenbeans12]

Hello everyone

I wanted to ask if anyone has had their teeth crowned?

After years of battling bulimia my teeth have lost their enamel. I have always had nice teeth that were straight and white but they have become damaged from the puking and stomach acid. I have a lot of cavaties and I am now experiencing erosion on my bottom front teeth and I have horrible sensitivity too. I have headaches from it and before the damage gets extensive I would like to preserve my teeth.

My dentist recommended I have all of my teeth crowned to protect them from further damage. The crowns will act as enamel and will also be a cosmetic procedure too, as you know. So it will be a lot of dental work I will be undergoing. They will be filling my cavaties (which I have a lot of in the back of my mouth) and then would like to cap them.

I have seen the before and after pictures, which are amazing. My teeth are not bad looking and you would never know I had this issue but the pain of the sensitivity is unbearable and the fact I don't want my teeth eroded is another point in all of this.

What was your experience, even if you only had a few teeth crowned? How was the recovery? Was it extremely painful? Are you glad you had your teeth crowned? ETC

Thanks.

 

[lau86]

I had two teeth crowned separately about 4 years ago. I needed root canal fillings and there wasn't enough of the tooth left so I had it crowned. It was under a private dentist with (I believe) really good equipment. The crown itself was no where near as sore as the root canal and other than getting used to the strange new bite there was no recovery period. Cosmetically it looked amazing although they were near the back of my mouth so couldn't really be seen. It took about 3 appointments for each tooth including the root canal fillings, alot of sitting in the dentist chair I must say. I am really happy with the results, I've never had bother with those teeth since.

 

[greenbeans12]

I had two teeth crowned separately about 4 years ago. I needed root canal fillings and there wasn't enough of the tooth left so I had it crowned. It was under a private dentist with (I believe) really good equipment. The crown itself was no where near as sore as the root canal and other than getting used to the strange new bite there was no recovery period. Cosmetically it looked amazing although they were near the back of my mouth so couldn't really be seen. It took about 3 appointments for each tooth including the root canal fillings, alot of sitting in the dentist chair I must say. I am really happy with the results, I've never had bother with those teeth since.

They want to go back and fix a root canal I had a few years ago on one of my teeth, which was meant to be capped but never was. They filled it with the solid putty but did not ever book me for a cap and I let it sit. The tooth is so damaged now they have to redo my root canal and it also HAS to have a cap, it's a tooth I broke in the very back of my mouth when I was a little kid and was too scared to tell on myself. I had bit a coke bottle trying to open it and my tooth broke in half.

Thanks for your input. I just want to be sure this is the right thing to do, since all of my teeth will be crowned and there is no going back on it.

 

[lau86]

I'm guessing they will only do a few at a time so they will give you a chance to get used to it. From what you've said it sounds like you will have a big improvement in the pain and sensitivity etc. good luck x x

 

[smileyfaces]

I have a gold crown (no idea why I have it if im honest). It wasn't painful to have done but was done over several appointments. Never had any probs and Ive had it for a couple of years now x

 

[greenbeans12]

I have a gold crown (no idea why I have it if im honest). It wasn't painful to have done but was done over several appointments. Never had any probs and Ive had it for a couple of years now x

From my understanding they will grind all of my teeth down at once, design the crowns, and then I will go back and have them all placed onto my teeth.

I am not sure how long the entire process will take. I believe it will take 1-2 weeks for them to design the crowns themselves and of course a few hours placing them on. I would prefer only a week considering the fact I don't want to walk around with my teeth looking like that for a week. My teeth look good right now, the cavaties are all in the very back and the small stains I have on my front bottom teeth you can't see unless you're very close to me. I have big lips so my bottom teeth aren't seen anyways - even when I smile. THANKFULLY.

Thanks for your input. Do you remember the cost at all?

 

[Banshee]

I've had a couple of root canals and crowns done and it cost several hundred pounds for a natural coloured crown (I think if they're at the front you get natural coloured on the nhs but gold if they're at the back).
The root canal process was uncomfortable but I didn't find it painful particularly. When they shaped the tooth before the crown was fitted they did put a temporary cover on so I wasn't walking around with a very obviously ground down tooth.
I'm glad I had mine done and glad I paid the extra for a natural coloured crown.

 

[tina3747]

I've got 2, one gold at the back and a white one nearer the front. I say 2, the white one fell out after 6 months and I've not been back to redo it!
Hate paying for dentist treatment!

 

[cookette]

To me, it sounds like you are describing veneers... its a fairly painless procedure, it just takes some time but asthetically beautiful. Make sure you get a mouth guard afterwards to protect your investment.

 

[smileyfaces]

I have a gold crown (no idea why I have it if im honest). It wasn't painful to have done but was done over several appointments. Never had any probs and Ive had it for a couple of years now x

From my understanding they will grind all of my teeth down at once, design the crowns, and then I will go back and have them all placed onto my teeth.

I am not sure how long the entire process will take. I believe it will take 1-2 weeks for them to design the crowns themselves and of course a few hours placing them on. I would prefer only a week considering the fact I don't want to walk around with my teeth looking like that for a week. My teeth look good right now, the cavaties are all in the very back and the small stains I have on my front bottom teeth you can't see unless you're very close to me. I have big lips so my bottom teeth aren't seen anyways - even when I smile. THANKFULLY.

Thanks for your input. Do you remember the cost at all?

I had a maternity exemption card so it was free. Are you in the UK? If so if you see an NHS dentist then the cost of your procedure should be capped at a certain amount, dont think its anymore than about 200-300. If its private then I wouldn't like to say how much it would cost!!

 

[smileyfaces]

To me, it sounds like you are describing veneers... its a fairly painless procedure, it just takes some time but asthetically beautiful. Make sure you get a mouth guard afterwards to protect your investment.

I was thinking this, sounds more like veneers!

 

[tardiz]

They will put temp crowns on them whilst you wait for the lab to construct the crowns in big cases like this they often do it all at once (unless nhs as then they can charge multiple appointments) as it is more likely to result in the best aesthetics of the size of the teeth etc.

My husband and I (well before babies) make crowns so let me know if I can help at all xx

 

[greenbeans12]

No it's not veneers I will be getting, it is actual crowns. I had my DH call the insurance company to see how much we would pay and to have all of my teeth crowned it will be around 4,000 US dollars if you exchange it from euros.

I am currently in America but will be leaving for Germany in the next month and I will be under my DH's dental insurance. I have a dentist in the US and she is the one who recommended I do this but we will see what the dentist in Germany thinks. I contemplated whether to do it here or in Europe and in Germany it will be much much much cheaper.

Thanks for all of the tips everyone and your own personal experience. The crowns all have warranties on them, so if it breaks or falls out or what have you it will be redone for free. I am extremely shocked the price is what it is, in the US they wanted 14 thousand US dollar to do it all and I would of had to take out a credit or loan to do it.

Hopefully it all goes smooth sailing. If anyone else has any input please let me know, I am still a bit up in the air. I am unsure of the German dentist will agree with my US dentist or what but we will see. She may after all recommend veneers as well. Who knows! My OH doesn't think I need them because my teeth are only stained on the bottom but my fear is it will continue to happen to all of my teeth.

Thanks again.

 

[smileyfaces]

$14,000?!?! Woooaaaahhhh!

 

[tardiz]

I wouldn't of thought It would be veneers to be honest theu hwve a tendency to flip off and I think in big cases crowns are more stable. They will possibly be all ceramic so metal free which is more aesthetic but more expensive. Germany are known for advancements in dental technology eg materials, designs and systems x x

 

[greenbeans12]

$14,000?!?! Woooaaaahhhh!

That would of been the CHEAP route too. I found a specialist who offers crowns at 500 a pop but generally they run about I would say 900 and even up here in the US.

Hopefully if the dentist recommends I do this then I don't have any issues with it. People say if the dentist is not good or makes a mistake then the crowns will fall off and I would be really angry to have to return regularly for them to keep redoing them. My OH has been going to the dentist I will see his entire life and he has perfect teeth, literally. Never a cavity, straight, pearly white. He says she is good and he trusts her and her prices are much lower then anywhere else in the Bayern area of Germany - which is why it would be about 100 euro per tooth. Other places it is 300 euro a tooth after insurance coverage.

 

[greenbeans12]

I wouldn't of thought It would be veneers to be honest theu hwve a tendency to flip off and I think in big cases crowns are more stable. They will possibly be all ceramic so metal free which is more aesthetic but more expensive. Germany are known for advancements in dental technology eg materials, designs and systems x x

My mom has a friend who has a mouthful of veneers and about once a year one of them breaks and needs replacement - it's one after the other. I would prefer crowns if I am going to go all in - they are much more stable like you mentioned and yes Germany has great dentists. Just a tad nervous since there is the language barrier and my OH will be translation. Other then that her reviews are good online.

 

[greenbeans12]

Oh and Tardiz, do you know if braces come before crowns? 4 of my bottom teeth are crooked and always have been - can't see it though because of my large lips. However, my dentist recommended braces on my bottom teeth to straighten them out. Would I get braces BEFORE the crowns? I am going to guess yes since they are glued to your teeth. But IDK for sure, I forgot to ask.

 

[lau86]

I don't think you would need braces before having crowns done because they have to file the tooth down to get the crown on. I could be wrong though

 

[tardiz]

Unless they are really out the bitebor misplaced then I doubt yoh will need them especially on the lower wheee the teeth are smaller as like someone said your teeth are filed down. Xxx