I have 8 crowns on my top front teeth that are 17 years old. I know that I am fortunate that they lasted so long, so no complaints here. One of the left canine crowns is lose. I am worried that it will come off. I saw my dentist and he said rather than replacing one crown he really needs to replace them all. I went into the office expecting to have the one tooth fixed, but not needing a new crown on every tooth. Do I really need to have all of the crowns replaced at the same time? Do they all need to be replaced anyway? Thank you. Anita

 

Anita – One lose crown doesn’t mean that all of your crowns need to be replaced. In general, it might be easier for a dentist to ensure the crowns match by replacing them all, but a skilled cosmetic dentist can perfectly match the replacement crown.

If you’ve had crowns for 17 years, it might be time to replace them. A cosmetic dentist will need to measure your crowns at the margin, their overall condition, and your bite to determine if they are wearing out. If any part of your natural teeth is exposed due to wear from the crowns, tooth decay can occur.

Another consideration is the color of your crowns. If they look worn, or if you want a brighter smile, eventually all of your crowns will need to be replaced. If you want a whiter smile and only replace one crown at a time, keep in mind that your new crowns will be noticeably whiter than the others.

It’s more affordable to receive crowns in phases, but the crowned teeth won’t match until all of the work is done.

Speak with your current dentist and with two accredited cosmetic dentists. An accredited cosmetic dentist has extensive post-graduate training in designing smiles that look completely natural.Let each dentist know your goals for your smile and find out how treatment can be made affordable for you. Remember that an examination is required to determine the condition of your crowns and teeth. Each dentist should let you know your options. Compare your options and decide which dentist you want to replace your crowns.

This post is sponsored by Lowell, MA cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.