How many crowns?

[Anonymous]

Hi. I am 34 and have many fillings because I inherited my mom’s soft teeth. I just got back from the dentist, and she told me three of my fillings need to be replaced by crowns because they are 20 years old and breaking down and there is not enough tooth for a new filling. Has anyone gotten crowns? How many? Is it a terrible experience? The thought of my tooth being drilled down to a nub and capoed with a faux molar is a bit distressing. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I have like eight crowns. It's not fun and it's very expensive but you gotta do what you Gotta do

[Anonymous]

I have 2. It’s not that big of a deal. They number to up so you don’t feel anything. The sound of the drill is the worst part.

Just make sure it fits right when they put in the permanent one. For this it’s is important that they get a good impression which can be tough when your are numb.

[Anonymous]

I have soft enamel, also (yay, genetics) and have had multiple large fillings replaced with crowns. I have 4 at the moment, all on molars. Expensive, but the actual process of getting them wasn't a huge deal. In fact, my last 2 were completely done same-day, no dealing with a temporary crown while the permanent one is being made, no extra appointment.

[Anonymous]

I would get a second opinion. I have numerous fillings that are forty plus years old, and have only had two fillings that had to be replaced within the last two years.

[Anonymous]

I had 2 by age 38. I have good insurance so I think they were only about $300 each. The root canal on the second one was the most pleasant dental experience I’d ever had.

I also partially think growing up with well water caused a lot of my problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would get a second opinion. I have numerous fillings that are forty plus years old, and have only had two fillings that had to be replaced within the last two years.

I also have really old fillings, but size, location, and material makes a huge difference in how long they last.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had 2 by age 38. I have good insurance so I think they were only about $300 each. The root canal on the second one was the most pleasant dental experience I’d ever had.

I also partially think growing up with well water caused a lot of my problems.

Different poster and I also have crummy teeth despite excellent dental care from early childhood on. I also grew up in well water until age 18.

[Anonymous]

I think a lot of this is genetic. I also think that woman tend to have more dental problems than men. I had at least three cavities every dentist visit when I was a girl and my brothers hardly ever had any. My mother has a mouthful of crowns and fillings, and my dad has had a total of two cavities his whole life.

I got my first crown when I was 26. I am now 35, and am up to 9. The process is physically not too difficult or painful. But I find getting crowns a little depressing from an emotional standpoint. The process involves having one’s real tooth essentially drilled down to a stub and then being condemned to a fake tooth facsimile glued to that stump for the rest of your life. It feels like a tiny part of me is no longer my own, and there is a twinge of sadness when I sit under the drill and another molar is turned into tooth dust a capped with a temporary piece of acrylic that is like a fake nail. It almost seems like an oral manifestation of my anxiety about never having been married and being childless at this age. Am I destined to be 45 with no kids but a mouth that has more porcelain than real enamel.

I know this is a first world problem, and there are much, much worse problems than having bad teeth that have to be crowned at an early age. But this post “hits a nerve,” while I am feeling a bit depressed and just lost another real tooth to the drill and gained another fake tiny part last week.

[Anonymous]

I had to start getting crowns when I was around 32. I'm 56 now and I don't even know how many I have.

It's a much better process now than when I started getting them and I'd have to wait a week for the crown to be made. Now most dentists can make them in their office while you're in the chair.

The most painful part for me is the cost...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had 2 by age 38. I have good insurance so I think they were only about $300 each. The root canal on the second one was the most pleasant dental experience I’d ever had.

I also partially think growing up with well water caused a lot of my problems.

I grew up with well water and this hadn’t occurred to me. I have five crowns. Makes more sense now! Thanks.