Help! I need advice on how to mend my broken teeth

[Victoria37]

At the beginning of Nov, I had a fall (in quite tragic circumstances... which hasn't helped the situation), as a result I broke one of my front teeth and knocked the other front tooth backwards.

The broke front tooth has a filling/ bonding (?) on it, but you can see the join. I'd say less that a quarter of the tooth came off, but it was still pretty big.

The one I knocked back has just had root canal treatment on it. Its still quite sensitive and also has a fracture line through it.

I am wondering what to next. I feel really self conscious about the way I look now. My teeth feel funny in my mouth... a bit wonky and fragile.

My dentist is really against me getting any cosmetic work... telling me that my own (even damaged) teeth are better than getting crowns and advising me to go down the orthodontic route, following my veneers if I really want them.

From what I have read veneers seem to be more problematic than crowns and don't last as long, even though less of the tooth needs to be removed/ prepared.

I really need a plan, otherwise I will go insane! Please give me some advise. Would I regret doing something cosmetic in the long run? I know people who have had it done successfully and are happy, but my dentist has really scared me!

If I do something cosmetic.... what I the best thing to do??

 

[drm]

A well done veneer should last just as long as a crown without any higher risk of complications. Veneers can be a bit more technique sensitive than crowns so you'll want someone who has experience doing them on a regular basis.

If the teeth bother you cosmetically as a result of the fall, you should get them fixed. The crown vs veneer debate can really only be answered by a dentist who has seen you in person. Perhaps you should consider getting a second opinion with someone else just to see your options.

 

[Victoria37]

A well done veneer should last just as long as a crown without any higher risk of complications. Veneers can be a bit more technique sensitive than crowns so you'll want someone who has experience doing them on a regular basis.

Thanks for responding so quickly.... my other concern is that by doing something cosmetic, I would be shortening the life of my existing teeth. Is this true? Would I end up loosing my teeth earlier if was to get veneers?

So confused! And I keep thinking I will do the wrong thing.

Plus, how do I know I am going to a good responsible cosmetic dentist?

 

[drm]

In most cases of veneers, your dentist only needs to remove about 1/2 a millimeter of enamel on the front surface of the tooth. With a crown the dentist will typically remove about 1 1/2 mm on the top and 1 mm all the way around. There is always a chance of complications with a tooth when drilled on but a nice conservative preparation of a veneer minimizes this risk considerably and should allow you to keep this tooth long term barring any additional cavities or trauma.

To find a good cosmetic dentist, I'd ask around for recommendations from other people, look at reviews online, find a prosthodontist (a type of specialist who has done 2-3 years of additional training in restorative treatments), or if you're really ambitious find a local dental lab and ask who they would recommend (they make the crowns and veneers for the dentists and know who does really good work).