Shaving 3 different healthy teeth for a crown?

[Oliver]

Having been informed I had a cracked tooth by a private dentist, he told me the only way to fix it was a crown?

When he fitted the temporary crown, he shaved one healthy tooth telling me it was so I could bite. When he fitted the permanent tooth, I kept telling him my mouth was't closing. He then shaved one healthy tooth down to a stump and another half way down. But, at that point when I was telling him my mouth still wouldn't bite, he sent me away on trial for a few days. At lunch that day I bit down and cracked off the side of the porcelen crown and half of a 3rd tooth which now needs work.

Can someone tell me if I am just an average case please? He says I need to go back to get another cast made and sent off.

 

[carole]

to the forum.


You need a competent dentist, don't let this man touch your teeth again, if there are any other dentists in the practice ask to see one of them. Complain, this is not right.

If you would like a dentist opinion on this put your thread on the dentistry questions.

He damaged 3 healthy teeth to fix a broken one and he didn't even fix that.

 

[Steve In Cleveland]

That's definitely not right.

It is possible that there's not enough room in a crowded mouth to accommodate a new crown, requiring other teeth to be adjusted to make room (another option is "crown lengthening", which is basically cutting away the gums to expose a little more of the natural crown, allowing the new crown to be fitted lower). But at the very least this should have been a conversation your dentist had with you before you started. At this point you could have chosen whether to sacrifice healthy tooth matter to save this tooth.

Then, adjusting the bite is a simple, standard thing to do anytime you're fitting a new crown. The dentist should have ensured that the bite was right, both for your comfort and health.

I think you're entitled to at least your money back for the poorly-fit crown. I'd be inclined to see another dentist for the new work. This one sounds like bad news.

 

[brit]

He then shaved one healthy tooth down to a stump and another half way down.

If he's really done this to you, you should be making a formal complaint to the GDC/Dental complaints service, if this private dentist is in the UK as he is not safe to be doing crowns on people's teeth. If no one complains through the appropriate channels he will keep getting away with it.