Paranoia!! Please help

[Dhistress]

After a visit to the dentist, it was decided that my tooth could be saved without a root canal. The decay had not yet infected the root of my tooth and the dentist decided the next best option would be a crown. I agreed.

In the moment, I didn't think too much of the material of the crown. Ever since I got home and did some research, however, I am extremely paranoid. Right now I have a temporary crown on my first top molar. The dentist said it would take 2-3 weeks for my permanent crown to be created and I scheduled an appointment for it to be put on.

But now that I am at home, I can't help but wonder why my dentist chose a porcelain-ceramic crown. I know it's supposedly for aesthetics but since it is my molar I would have much preferred a porcelain infused with metal crown. Am I wrong for this? Is it too late to voice my concerns? And if I were to switch over to the PFM crown, how do you think that would affect the cost of the crown itself?

Financially, I'd much rather not pay for another crown in five years. I'd rather have the stronger material and hope that it lasts closer to ten of fifteen years, as I hear stories of people saying. I am also SO paranoid I will get decay under the crown! Is there any specific way I should floss and brush when I get my permanent crown???


I also can't help but feel extreme guilt for neglecting my teeth to the point where one needed a crown. I know technically my tooth is still underneath, but it is just a fraction of what it was. I feel like I am a failure and like this is such an uncommon thing for my age.

 

[FearfulInMA]

I have tooth colored (no metal) crowns on molars and they have lasted for much longer than 5 years (I think a couple are getting close to 10 years without issue). I don’t know why a dentist would choose one over the other, but I’ve been very happy with mine.

I have had to have one replace due to decay around the gum line where there was some recession due to the crown. I think the best you can do to prevent that is really good hygiene including flossing.

I don’t think it’s a bad idea to ask your dentist why s/he chose the material s/he did - you may be surprised that you are satisfied with the response and that it eases some of your concerns.

 

[Mugz]

I have a porcelain fused to metal crown on my second to last bottom molar on the left. Tooth was cracked but no root canal. I had it done in 1994 so it’s 25 years old. No problems until very recently. I had a CEREC crown done on same molar on the right side and it was a problem from the start on an infected root canalled tooth. It wasn’t the crown as much as the condition of the actual tooth. Personally, the process of having the CEREC crown was so much easier and faster than the PFM one that as a phobic patient I’d opt for it first. There weren’t any awful impressions, no temporary crown to mess with and no return visit for permanent crown placement. However, it sounds like you’ve been through that (the hard part) for this crown. I’m sure there’s a reason your dentist chose this but it is reasonable to ask and voice your preference.

 

[Dr. Daniel]

Hi,

The "all ceramic" crowns these days have significant advantages compared to "porcelain fused to metal" crowns. I prefer not to get into this because there are also disadvantages. The bottom-line is that the kind of material is chosen done both by the dentist and the technician. They choose mostly according to their experience and skills so different professionals might choose different materials. In any case, let me assure you, neither of them would like to take the risk of having a broken crown and an unhappy client. If you tend to grind/clench your teeth at night, having a night guard will also help preventing breakage.
If it has been only a few days since the impression, it would not be too late to ask for a different material.
Keeping the crown clean is basically mechanical removal of bacteria, by brushing and flossing.

 

[Dhistress]

Thank you for all the answers! I'm feeling much more at ease now. I have about 2.5 weeks left before my permanent crown is put on.

In the meantime, I've been avoiding eating on that side out of paranoia and recommendations from articles I've read. But the very few times I do chew on that side, I have slight discomfort. It's sensitivity to the pressure of chewing but I have no pain or sensitivity if I press on the crown with my tongue or finger. I'm super paranoid. Do I need a root canal? Or is this normal and I can proceed with my permanent crown in a few weeks?

My dentist doesn't open again until Monday so I can't call and ask.

 

[FearfulInMA]

In my experience, having had many crowns, sensitivity with the temporary crown is very normal. This can happen for a number of reasons. The temp never fits quite as well as the permanent. Also, the work around the gum line needed to prepare the tooth for a crown can also be super irritating to the soft tissue around the tooth. Finally, preparing the tooth for a crown can cause some sensitivity for a bit. My experience is that if you are not having spontaneous pain or pain you can’t manage with over the counter meds (ibuprofen, etc) or pain that wakes you up or keeps you up at night, that there is very likely nothing to worry about.

 

[Dhistress]

Thank you so much. I wish my anxiety would stop taking ahold of me. I can’t help but feel EXTREMELY guilty and disgusted with myself. I’m 21 years old and I’m having a crown put on my first top molar. I feel like I am very much alone in having to have this work done at my age. It seems to me that most patients who have this performed on them are a bit older. I feel like a complete and utter failure and that the only option later in my life say when I’m 30 or 40 will be extraction and I will suffer the consequences of that such as my teeth shifting, facial asymmetry and bite misalignment :’( I feel as if I have a life of expensive dental misery ahead of me

 

[FearfulInMA]

I got my first crowns in my early 30’s and they all needed root canals - the teeth were really, really bad. I still have 3 of the 4. The only one I lost was because the root canal was not successful and, after many years, it failed. Otherwise, crowned teeth should last a very, very long time.

 

[Sol]

I had my first crown when I was 27. It's on a molar that does not have a root canal. Please don't feel bad about this, having a crown is not uncommon. The dental assistant that was helping with my crown was actually excited for me and treated it like a right of passage. She shared she had her first crown in her early 20's.

It may help your anxiety if you stop Googling this stuff. I know when I was first talked to about this I went and found similar articles but those mostly focus on negative things. It's been 6 years and the crown/tooth is still going strong.

 

[Mugz]

Thank you so much. I wish my anxiety would stop taking ahold of me. I can’t help but feel EXTREMELY guilty and disgusted with myself. I’m 21 years old and I’m having a crown put on my first top molar. I feel like I am very much alone in having to have this work done at my age. It seems to me that most patients who have this performed on them are a bit older. I feel like a complete and utter failure and that the only option later in my life say when I’m 30 or 40 will be extraction and I will suffer the consequences of that such as my teeth shifting, facial asymmetry and bite misalignment :’( I feel as if I have a life of expensive dental misery ahead of me

Please don’t feel bad. I was 24 when I cracked my molar and got my crown. I was 10 when I broke half of my front tooth right off during a fall. It happens, not anything to feel bad about. Some things you just can’t help.