Dental Crown Repair
Sometimes you may just want to repair a dental crown verses replacing it.
We had a patient, Judy, who had a ceramic dental crown placed by another dentist and it did not hold up. It was chipping and was on a tooth that was very visible when Judy smiled.
Judy set an appointment with Buffalo Dental Advanced Cosmetics to have the crown replaced. Dr. Orfi gave Judy two options. First option was that Dr. Orfi would replace the crown with a high quality crown. Second option was to repair the crown.
Dr. Orfi likes to try to save the existing crowns for a few reasons.
Insurance only covers crown replacements every 5 - 7 years (depending on the insurance company and your plan coverage) because insurance companies feel that 5-7 years is the minimum time a crown should last. It hadn't been 7 years since the crown was placed so Judy would have had to pay for crown replacment out of pocket.
Also, each time you remove a crown you jeopardize the supporting tooth structure below it. (Unless you have a crown supported by an implant which then does not have supporting tooth structure). Check out Buffalo Dental Implant for dental implant and supported crowns.
Judy chose to have the crown repaired because it may last a very long time or, worst case, last long enough to bring Judy to 7 years so that her insurance would cover a new crown. Some insurances cover repair. Here's where to go to check the insurance companies that we participate with.
How long crown repair lasts is very dependent on the tooth being repaired, how you chew food, if you grind your teeth, etc.
Dr. Orfi repaired Judy's chipped ceramic crown with a bonding material specifically designed to adhere to existing crowns. She matched colors carefully, applied the material, let it set and then sculpted it to match Judy's other teeth.
Below is Judy's smile. She is extremely happy with her smile : )
Call Buffalo Dental Advanced Cosmetics at (716) 428-6100 if you're interested in learning more about crown replacement or repair.
