How many crowns do you have in your mouth?

[Vera W]

Interesting poll Kenny. My mom took a lot of meds when she was pregant and apparently it gave us kids a lot of bad teeth. Poor Mama, she didn't know. I have 6 crowns and 2 inlays all made of 18k yellow gold. About 12 years ago my dentist told me I needed a lot of work and to replace my old fillings. I nearly died when he told me it would cost about $10,000.00. When he left the room the hygenist lean over and told me to go to the Dental school. So I went and they quoted me $2000.00. I took out a loan from my Neiman Marcus Credit Union, paid the school and over 2 years got all the work done. I went with gold because it was cheaper and it is all back teeth so you can only see it when I laugh out loud. LOL. Anywho we recent had a Dentist buy a nice diamond ring and I asked him about my gold and he said I made a wise choice because it lasts longer then the porceilan crowns and of course the price of gold has gone way up since then. I have it written in my will to make sure and get that gold out for my boys and I keep reminding them of their inheritence. Hee Hee. I haven't needed any further dental work since and go for my normal cleanings twice a year. BTW, I am an excellent dental patient, I fall asleep in the chair. They loved me at the Dental school and the students would draw straws as to who got to work on me. I guess since my first trip was when I was 5 I got way to used to being in that chair. =D

 

[asscherisme]

Zero. But my dentist wants me to get one on a tooth where I have a very large filling because he thinks that it could crack. Its been there forever and I'm not worried about it so my vote is to leave it alone.

I have 2 crowns (got both within the last 6 years) because of this exact thing. Had old metal fillings from when I was a kid in the 70's. Fast forward 30 plus years and metal expands and contracts and cracked the teeth. The first one I needed a root canal to calm down the throbbing pain. but the tooth was saved and crowned. Second tooth, a few years later, no root canal but a chunk of my molar just snapped off! Freaked me out. My dentist assures me that with the crowns, both those molars are structurally sound now.

I think I have more crowns in my future because I still have a bunch of old metal fillings. I asked my dentist about taking them out, but he said that might cause more harm than good. He keeps a close eye on them.

Beware there are MANY dishonest dentists out there. When I first moved to a new state, I went to a dentist who told me I had 9 cavaties and needed 9 crowns on those teeth and wanted to charge $1000 per tooth for a total of $9,000.

I told the guy I wanted a second opinion and called my old dentist and asked how so much damage could occur in the 6 months since I saw him. His answer, HIGHLY unlikely and he told me this guy was probably scamming me. He recommended another opinion. I went to my neightbor's dentist (who I still see to this day) who told me my teeth were in good shape and recommended I report the other dentist. I did just that and I noticed about a year later, his office was no longer where it was and there was an optician in his old space.

Scary to think how many other patients he scammed. He wanted to drill perfectly healthy teeth just for money.

 

[canuk-gal]

Enough to buy my dentist a speedboat......

 

[janlwf]

No fluoride in the water = many cavities many cavities as a kid = crowns as an adult . All that work means I really dislike the dentist, love my hygienist and go to her every three - six months but the dentist gives me the shivers

 

[omc111]

20. All done in one day.

I was the dentist's only patient. Due to severe TMJ I really didn't have a comfortable natural bite so my dentist came up with the idea of crowning almost all of my teeth to create a bite. Most of my teeth would have had to had crowns anyway because as a kid, I chewed gum while wearing braces and when the braces came off, I had to have something like 24 fillings. And they were all beginning to crack. So I spent a miserable month with temporaries but when the permanent ones went in, I had a bite. Which has lasted for years...

 

[iLander]

This is the big secret; when you're over 40, your teeth start to go. Even if you brush every stinking day, like I do.

Crowns are expensive, which is why poor people tend to have gappy smiles. I feel sorry for them, my last crown cost $2200.

If eating every day is difficult for some, then crowns are a distant dream. A charity dentist service is much needed in this country.

 

[JewelFreak]

There are free dental clinics in many cities where the work is done by dental students, interns, residents, whatever you call them. A lifesaver for people who need them.


When we moved to San Francisco I went to a dentist recommended by my uncle (thanks, Buddy!) for a regular old cleaning. X-rays: he pointed to an eensy weensy microscopic dent in a molar & harangued me to have it filled or my head would soon rot & fall off. Wore me down & I said ok. This was SO tiny, it could have been a natural irregularity. While he's drilling away, I hear his receptionist on the phone: "Mrs. X., it's time to make an appointment for your next visit....Oh, you do? Well, I hope he works out for you." She tiptoes in to the dentist & whispers, "I'm calling but nobody is making appointments." "Keep at it!" he replies. Uh oh, thinks I.

Suddenly he yelps, "OOPS!" and a big hunk of tooth lands in my lap! He blithely picks it up. From then on, that molar caused SO MUCH pain. One day I bit on a piece of cracked pepper & my head exploded, honest, right in the restaurant! Went to my new dentist (surprised?) toot sweet. Turned out the first moron broke off almost all of the molar, then put in a metal filling without any packing -- so the metal sat directly on the nerve. New guy was not sure there was enough tooth left to which to attach a crown, but he was very skilled & managed. It was great for 20 yrs, then last year came off. Thank the Tooth Fairy for my dentist here, who also moaned & groaned but did get a crown on the stump of a tooth. Next time it fails, it'll have to be an implant.

My new motto was, "If you have any doubts, say NO."

--- Laurie

 

[iLander]

There are free dental clinics in many cities where the work is done by dental students, interns, residents, whatever you call them. A lifesaver for people who need them.

--- Laurie

Is there really? I wasn't aware of this, and that makes me feel a lot better, Laurie, thank you!

 

[Haven]

There are free dental clinics in many cities where the work is done by dental students, interns, residents, whatever you call them. A lifesaver for people who need them.

--- Laurie

Is there really? I wasn't aware of this, and that makes me feel a lot better, Laurie, thank you!

Absolutely. We have a local community college with a huge dental program, many of my own students go there for services.