• Dental Phobia Support

    Welcome! This is an online support group for anyone who is has a severe fear of the dentist or dental treatment. Please note that this is NOT a general dental problems or health anxiety forum! You can find a list of them here.

    Register now to access all the features of the forum.

Loose crown for many years!

C

chrissyb123

Junior member
Joined
May 10, 2009
Messages
12
Hello
I've had a loose crown (upper molar near the front) for many years and had an extraction next to it about 20 years ago. (I'm 40).
The crown came out about 6 years ago, and had a crown plus post in one unit when it came out- hardly any tooth left. I took it to the dentist who stuck it back in, and it got loose again, but not so much that it really bothered me, and I go to the dentist every six months.
He has always said he wouldn't interfere with it - it would come out naturally.
Its now very loose indeed, and driving me a bit bonkers as it simply won't come out. I've prepared myself for the fact that I will probably need an implant, but also been told there is not enough bone (probably) so I can get an implant beside where the original crown was going to be but would still have a gap albeit further back.
I'm getting married in 4 months and wanted to get it sorted for vanity reasons! I was told now by 2 dentists they don't want to deal with it.
I'm depressed about 2 things - one, I'm living with this shaky crown that simply won't budge (have tried to but don't want to hurt myself!). It wobbles about like mad but still seems really stuck.
Secondly - do I really need to live with some kind of gap forever? Its hurt my confidence for many years and finally would like to pay to sort that side of my mouth completely. It seems that because I had an extraction many years ago beside the crown my teeth have moved so there will always be some kind of gap.
Any advice?
 
Implant technology is always improving, you may well find that you're a candidate now.

I can't understand your dentist leaving a loose crown in place, don't know what ZZZ and Mike think, but I think you'd be opening yourself up to a world of hurt if it came loose and the patient inhaled it...
 
Inhaled it??
Do you mean swallowed it?
 
Gordon probably meant inhaling it in your sleep if it falls off.
 
Yep. I wouldn't worry about it if you only swallowed it, it would turn up again later :)
 
Hi thanks for these

basically my usual dentist said that he did not want to interfere with it as by tugging it etc it could fracture the bone.

I can't understand why its so wobbly but won't come out.

My temptation is to use temporary cement on it just to firm it a little so it doesnt drive me too insane. But it won't budge and as I said dentist number two doenst want to interfere with it either.

Is temporary cement a good idea as long as I give the crown/surrounding area a really good clean?
 
If a crown is really loose but simply won't come out - I've tried and the dentist has tried - what is the best thing to do?
Most of the time I'm fine with it but it occassionally gets sore around the gumline although I'm fastidious about flossing etc and usually a good clean and some corsodyl gel sorts it out. I told my dentist that when it feels really loose and I'm going away for the weekend for example I'll use some temporary cement around it (obviously it won't come out to fill it) which seems to work ok for a while and stop it driving me mad!
Its just been like this for years - rocks about but won't come out - any thoughts?
 
Crown remover. Remove it in about 30 secs... I really can't see what the dentists are faffing about here.

DIY job, try a really sticky toffee. Bite into the toffee with the crown and the opposing tooth, then open your mouth with a "snap" as fast as you can, probably the crown will come out in the toffee.
 
I think a change of dentist might help :( (don't really fancy the toffee suggestion, lol :o)
 
the toffee game sounds like fun. And when it comes out you can always stick it back in with the toffee if you change your mind. ;) (that's a joke by the way and Im hoping Gordon's suggestion was too!!)

I seem to remember a toffee story I read once about a little boy who used to like getting his gran toffees to see her dentures stick together....
 
Again I think it might be a fracture issue and I don't want to be left with a big gap but I know it will have to be dealt with sometime! But that is now two dentists who have said they don't want to interfere with it. Definetly not doing the toffee thing!
 
I have seen this exact situation. The anterior crown wobbles but it won't fall out. Kinda like a Weeble I guess. Usually it's due to the core/post/whatever being retained in a bowl shaped preparation. There's usually not much of the root above the gum level to prevent things from moving around, but the crown is locked into the root portion. Imagine a ball locked into a socket type arrangement with a crown attached to it, and that's what you've basically got.

Forcefully taking the loose crown off most likely will result in a fractured root so that might not be the best option. The crown might have to be sacrificed and the works cut off with the part locking it on cut as well to release it rather than risk a root fracture. I would probably go that route rather than gamble that the root won't fracture too badly by forcing the crown off. Unfortunately the options aren't that great in this type of situation I find. If the root still is salvageable, a new core/post/crown might be made, but usually there's not a whole lot of the root present which explains why it came loose in the first place so one might plan for the dental implant or bridge just in case.

Sometimes the root is still useable, but one can't tell until the loose crown is removed. Leaving it loose isn't doing anyone any favors as bacteria and fluids are leaking underneath ultimately decaying the root and compromising the root canal seal.
 
Imagine a ball locked into a socket type arrangement with a crown attached to it, and that's what you've basically got.

I am curious as to how this would have been done in the first place because it sounds like that "getting a ship into a bottle" mystery.
 
It's not that great of a mystery if you see what is being done. Often decay is cleaned out leaving a bit of a scooped out form at the top of the root that's somewhat barrel shaped. The dentist often will place a post and rebuild the top with some core material. Over time forces on the crown loosen the works up, microleakage occurs, cement dissolves and if the area retaining the core has a narrower part, that constriction can prevent the wider core / post from completely coming out. The whole crown/post/core complex is loose and can move slightly up and down, rotate, and/or tip.
 
Hello thanks for this.
I guess my next question is should I go and get this seen to now?
It does seem to be getting looser, and having come out of the dentist yesterday after having another new crown fitted she did mention that it might not be a full six months until I see her again!
My worry is that I'm getting married in September. I want to look and feel my best and I'm worried that I might have a disaster just before the wedding but also if I get this seen to I might have to face having an implant, possibly living with a gap there for the forseeable future. I guess I can't really win.
I'd also like to give my finances a break!!!

Any thoughts? The crown isn't giving me any problems, its just feels really loose. I've been using some temporary cement to fix it when it feels really strange, and the dentist said she is fine with that as long as I keep it as clean as possible.

Maybe I should just bite the bullet and get it seen to now (wedding 3 months away)
 
It's difficult to predict the outcome of choices in an online situation. One can only say that there can be possible consequences and benefits either way. How do you know that it might not break or fall out the day before the wedding if you leave it? Then again it might be perfectly fine. Sometimes the area holding onto the crown can decay slightly allowing the works to come out.

I suppose if you're fearing the worst if it's taken out you might want to see how it goes over the next 3 months as is. Hopefully it won't give you any major trouble over that time period. If something does happen even right before the wedding, usually something temporarily can be done to repair / deal with things.
 
I wonder if there is a way in which it can at least be stablised for a while?
Its mad that they won't interfere with it, it won't come out although it constantly feels like it's about to, and I have to sit and wait for it to fall out which is really depressing!
Any thoughts?
 
Trying to get something like that stabilized would be quite a feat as one can't get the area under the crown cleaned out or dry to get an effective bond. The lack of support that caused the crown to come loose in the first place means there's something quite lacking to resist the normal forces of chewing so attempting to make up for that with the crown on is going to be pretty near impossible.

Dentists can be quite resourceful, and if there's a will there can be a way. You might want to see if your dentist has any ideas which might be suitable for you.
 
Back
Top