I have always had very healthy teeth and gums. A few months ago I had a bicycle accident that led to my two front teeth getting chipped. My dentist said the repair would require dental crowns. By the time my regular check-up came in, I had gum disease. I’ve never had anything close to gum disease before. They felt I’d been babying my teeth since the accident, but that is not true. I pointed out to my hygienist that sometimes food gets stuck at the top of my crowns, between that and my gums. She said that is normal. I just have a hard time thinking I suddenly forgot how to care for my teeth.
Lisa
Dear Lisa,
I don’t like it when a dentist deflects from a flaw in their work and blames the results on the patients. Having a space at the top of your dental crowns like that is very likely the cause of your gum disease. What you have are called open margins and not only is it not normal, it can lead to decay and gum disease, as you have unfortunately experienced. The best thing for you to do is get a refund on these dental crowns because they are going to have to be re-done. If he or she thinks inferior crowns are normal, you definitely don’t want them to be the ones to replace them.
Go ahead and look for a periodontist. They are gum specialists and can treat your gum disease and replace your dental crowns to proper form and function. Don’t put this off because untreated gum disease can lead to bone loss of the tooth. In its most advanced stages people can start losing their teeth.
If your dentist does not want to refund your money, it will be helpful to have a periodontist look at the crowns. If open margins are the problem, having him on your side, will help you secure your refund.
Best of luck moving forward.
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