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    LauraDaleK's Avatar
    LauraDaleK Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #1

    Oct 15, 2007, 11:54 PM
    Crown vs. post crown
    I have been having a problem with a dental office I recently began visiting. Two dentists are at the site (one is retiring) and one recommends one thing, then when I sit in the chair to get the work done the other dentist comes in and recommends something completely different. I am going to switch to another dentist.. however I am now in the position of having to pay for work that they have already started... Now for my question.

    I have a lot of decay due to medications. Apparently I had a lot of decay in tooth #10 (next to front tooth on the left). The dental hygenist "demonstrated" this decay by poking a hole in the tooth, then when I was flossing the floss got caught in the tooth and it broke in half. I went back in and the retiring dentist said that the tooth would be fixed by putting a post and a crown on, as well as doing a root canal (I had already been scheduled to have a root canal due to the decay).

    So I sit down in the chair to have the work began and the "other" dentist comes in and begins work on the tooth. After it was numbed and he drilled for a while he stopped and told me that because the tooth was so decayed there might not be enough to support a crown and post and that instead of putting the money into that, when it may eventually fall out, I may want to have the tooth extracted and wear a temporary one called a "flipper". The other option was to have a "bridge" put in which would involve drilling down the other 2 surrounding teeth. I wanted to stay away from extracting a front tooth so I told him I really would prefer to try the root canal. He also told me I had to decide that day because he would not be able to do a root canal if I did not decide that day (I do not understand this either). Anyway, I decided I want to risk the root canal, even if it does not last, if I can avoid extracting the tooth.

    However, once I got home and looked at the paperwork, it appears that he has decided to do a "core build up" and porcelain crown... he is not putting in the post.

    My question (sorry for the above rambling but felt like it necessary) is... IF THERE IS ALREADY A RISK THAT THERE IS NOT A LOT OF TOOTH TO HOLD THE CROWN IN, WOULDN'T IT MAKE MORE SENSE FOR BOTH A POST AND CROWN TO BE PUT IN?? While I am not wild about having a post put in my mouth it does sound like it would be more stable. Any info re. crown vs. post crown would be appreciated. Thanks!
    ChihuahuaMomma's Avatar
    ChihuahuaMomma Posts: 7,378, Reputation: 608
    Vision Expert
     
    #2

    Oct 16, 2007, 01:00 AM
    I would go with the extraction and bridge. It's more sound. Otherwise you are risking something that is only going to last for a while. Then you'll have to get the extraction anyway. I had a tooth that was in such a bad condition that the breakage occurred while muching on a PRINGLE. LOL. I had a filling, then a root canal, and finally an extraction then bridge. I prefer the bridge far better than shooting pains which I still had after the root canal. As far as two disagreeing dentists in the same establishment. I would definitely switch dentists. That's so unprofessional.
    flossie's Avatar
    flossie Posts: 1,903, Reputation: 181
    Ultra Member
     
    #3

    Oct 16, 2007, 05:50 PM
    Sometimes the "core build up" IS the post. I wonder how he was able to do it when he told you there might not be enough tooth to support a crown. I suppose he must have decided there WAS enough tooth.
    A more permanent fix would be to remove the tooth and put an implant in.
    anisel's Avatar
    anisel Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #4

    Nov 23, 2011, 01:09 AM
    In my University we went through steps, first try post and crown and then if that fails you go for a bridge or an implant. Most of the work I've done through post and crowns if the case is well chosen and the work is well done it has a high possibility of lasting more than 6 or 7 years. I would rather that with my natural root because your natural tooth keeps your alveolar bone from resorption.. a bridge can't do that. In the future if the work starts to fail you will have enough bone to go for implant. If you go for a bridge the neighbor tooth will be affected somehow... and, if your caries problem is too HIGH, a bridge is actually contraindicated. This is coming for a dentist who love to bridges, but, it has its indications.

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