Dental crown information
by Marlene
My current dentist has told me that all my caps have been put on too close to my gums and this is causing problems with my gums. They will all need to be replaced or surgery on my jaws to lower it. This doesn't make sense to me and I want to know if this is a common thing. I have seen two dentists over the last 32 years who both are supposed to be really good. Did they both put all my caps on wrong? I am a 59 year old woman who flosses everyday and am in good health. Thanks reply by Shelly ~ admin Hi Marlene, Thank you for writing. That does sound confusing and I don't blame you for having some questions...I have a few questions myself:) Caps are also called crowns. First some dental crown information... All crowns have margins...the edge of the crown where it meets the tooth is the margin. Those margins can be nice and smooth or not so smooth. We call the not so smooth ones bulky. You can feel most crown margins when you floss...the smoother they are, the less you feel them. Bulky crown margins can cause gum inflammation and contribute to gum disease. Most crowns (even those with smooth margins) need extra attention (flossing and brushing) to keep your gums healthy. If they are too bulky, it becomes more difficult to keep the gums healthy and prevent cavities from forming near the margin. About your question... What doesn't quite ring true about the suggestion to replace all your crowns is this... Once the margins are placed near the gums, it is impossible to make new crowns with a lower margin. Because some of your enamel has already been removed to place the original crowns, that part of the tooth would need to be covered by the new replacement crown....so your new crowns would be just as close to your gums as the old ones. However, if your crown margins are extra bulky and not smooth it would be possible to make new crowns with smoother margins, but they would still be in the same place (near your gums). One more piece of dental crown information... It is not wrong to place crown margins near the gums. Ideally they should come very close to or even extend very slightly under the gums. If they are nice and smooth this is not a problem. Sounds simple enough, but some crowns are not easy for the dentist to place... Sometimes the condition of the tooth being crowned makes it difficult to place the margins in the most ideal spot. In these situations, the dentist does the best s/he can. My advice... It is not unusual for a crown to need to be replaced because of bulky margins but replacing all your crowns is a big financial and time commitment. You should feel very confident that it is the right choice before having it done. I would get another opinion before having all your crowns replaced or going through gum surgery. I hope this helps, Good Luck ~Shelly~ |
