So back on March 10th 2020, just three days before LOCKDOWN I got a filling replaced. Actually more like half a tooth (molar) and the next door molar also had to be reconstructed a bit. My dentist told me at the time that if this one didn’t last then I would have to get a crown. And I was thinking things were okay until Sunday night when a big chunk of filling came out while I was having dinner. Ick.
And so I will be seeing my dentist on Wednesday to hear the verdict, but I’m already thinking that if he recommends a 500€ crown I’ll just tell him to yank the thing out and I’ll deal with that. I mean, at this point so many of my fillings are old and fragile, and occupy most of the teeth they are in, so this could be the first of many such episodes. And as this is a back molar that won’t be visually missed, then maybe best to just have it pulled and save any expensive procedures for ones that matter more. We shall see.
UPDATE: my dentist was able to repair the tooth so no crown, no muss no fuss, what a relief!
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I know that the budget decision is crucial, but if the dentist has forex a payment plan that you can handle, I’d go for the crown. I had one done 20+ years ago because there was a distinct gap between my last two molars and it was setting me up for pockets in my gum that were asking to get infected. Apparently that’s a thing when there’s a gap between your teeth. It’s still there doing its job. Whereas if you get a tooth pulled, down the road you can get an implant, but that’s really ruinous.
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I agree with the previous comment. It’s not just missing a tooth, but the gap is ripe for infections and other things. It also makes other teeth shift, and affects your mandibular joints. I have permanent jaw pain because of a difficult wisdom tooth pull (the one I live-tweeted, remember?) and my molars readjusted badly and is causing non-stop issues. As someone who eats like we do, having constant jaw pain is a BUMMER, trust me.
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It’s expensive but you should do all you can to get this work done now. It’s really important for your overall health to have the best-working, cleanest teeth you can. It’s not going to be more appealing to deal with this later, and honestly, all of your teeth are important. I just had two molar crowns replaced last year and the new composite ones are smooth and beautiful. It was such a hassle, including having the temporary crowns break into pieces while I was on a trip and having to shove them back in. But now I’m beyond thrilled. Sending good dental wishes your way!
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