[OT] Question about dental crowns

Hi all,

I could use some dental advice. One of my molars has become very
sensitive to cold over the past several months. Heat also bothers it
somewhat, so I've been chewing mostly on the other side for most of
that time. It's gotten bad enough that I have to use warm water to
rinse my mouth out after brushing my teeth.

Anyway, I recently got dental insurance, and I went in last week to
get a checkup and cleaning. The dentist looked at that tooth and told
me I had a crack along outside edge, and that's what's causing the
sensitivity - from liquids seeping inside the tooth. She said that
there's very little tooth left, just the filling and a fragile bit of
tooth around the edges, and if she were just to replace the filling,
there would be nothing to hold it in place. So she says I need a
crown.

Since I've never had this done before, I wanted to ask if this sounds
reasonable. If I really need it, of course I'll have it done, but
crowns are very expensive, and my insurance will pay only 50% of it.
So I don't want to get it unless it's really necessary.

I'd be interested in hearing some other experiences with this. Has
anyone else had the same symptom and ended up getting a crown? Should
I get a second opinion? Is it common for dentists to do unneccessary
work? I've always had really good teeth, so I mostly haven't had any
dental treatment beyond the usual cleanings and x-rays.

I'm 51, and apparently I do grind my teeth in my sleep, so I guess
it's not that surprising that I would be starting to have problems
like this.

Experiences, suggestions, etc, are welcome!

Thanks,
Joyce
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Josef Fritzls cellar lacked oxygen
    ... I read in a German newspaper that Elisabeth has only three teeth ... The original tooth the crown is set on had too little *tooth* left to really connect the crown to. ...
    (alt.true-crime)
  • Re: Josef Fritzls cellar lacked oxygen
    ... I read in a German newspaper that Elisabeth has only three teeth ... After a while hooking anything into it, like tooth ... I'd been having trouble with a particular crown for years. ...
    (alt.true-crime)
  • Re: Josef Fritzls cellar lacked oxygen
    ... Police said the cellar was damp and covered in mildew and that as ... I read in a German newspaper that Elisabeth has only three teeth ... The original tooth the crown is set on had too little *tooth* left to really connect the crown to. ...
    (alt.true-crime)
  • Re: Josef Fritzls cellar lacked oxygen
    ... Police said the cellar was damp and covered in mildew and that as ... I read in a German newspaper that Elisabeth has only three teeth ... After a while hooking anything into it, like tooth implants, ... I'd been having trouble with a particular crown for years. ...
    (alt.true-crime)
  • Re: Suddenly I need 6 Crowns?
    ... No one can tell you anything about your teeth from the internet. ... I can make some guesses here: As far as crown vs. filling. ... crown done on that tooth in 1968, it would still be fine. ...
    (sci.med.dentistry)