Baton Rouge Dentist

When does a dental crown require an emergency visit?

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I’ve had several dental crowns done over the years. Most of them are fine and look good. One has always had a slight defect. It’s nothing major, just a small divot in the crown. However, lately, it’s gotten rougher feeling and has started picking up stains.  Is this an emergency? What do I do? I’m about to go an overseas trip and don’t want something to happen while I’m gone.

Braydon L.

Braydon,

While this isn’t a dental emergency, it does sound like your crown is having some issues. It’s possible it’s even cracked. If I were in your place, I’d have it looked at before leaving the country, in case it needs to be replaced.

You didn’t say how old your crowns are, but it may just be time for them to be re-done.  That happens. Things wear out, including our bodies.

Talk to your dentist regarding your upcoming trip so he or she can schedule you in with plenty of time to spare.

If your dentist tries to tell you that all of them need to be replaced to get the crowns to match, that is a warning sign. It means he’s not a skilled cosmetic dentist. One crown can be made to match the others.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Ryan Perry.

Do I Need Crowns or Veneers on My Front Teeth?

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My top two front teeth were ground down for crowns but there is no crowns on the teeth. Can veneers work on my teeth now?
– Tim from Louisiana

Tim,
When a tooth has been prepared for a crown, the only restoration that works for the tooth is a crown.

The difference between a crown and a porcelain veneer is the veneer covers the front of the tooth and not the back. A crown covers the entire tooth but there are some slight exceptions as veneers can also include the sides of the tooth. Some dentists charge the same fee for a veneer as for a crown.

Whenever a lot of tooth structure is removed, that is considered to be aggressive dentistry. It seems better when the dentist removes the least possible tooth structure so it’s minimally invasive and still accomplishes the desired result. Excellent cosmetic dentists will be conservative when they work on teeth.

A crown strengthens a back tooth against tooth fracture in almost every situation in which it is used. With front teeth, they are more subject to horizontal stresses and a crown can weaken an otherwise healthy tooth, making it more susceptible to lateral shearing forces. This is why it’s important to be as conservative as possible in treatments to front teeth. A porcelain veneer that’s well-placed and conservative won’t weaken a tooth.

In your case, you will need to have crowns placed for your two front teeth as they have been ground down for crowns. Had they been minimally prepared, you could have had veneers.

This blog brought to you by Dr. Ryan P. Perry of Baton Rouge Family Dentistry