Q.

I recently had porcelain to metal crown put on to cover an existing tooth that already had a large cavity. The tooth covered was an upper back tooth. The bite feels normal; however the outside out the crown feels like it protrudes from the rest of the teeth. My dentist said this is normal but I feel self conscious like I have a big tooth. Can the crown be filed or smoothed down so that it is flush with the rest of the teeth? Will filing down the outside of the tooth damage the crown?

Q.

My wife has a 7mm overbit and slightlyl produding two front teeth,she does not have large gaps or crooked teeth, she visited the local Orthodontic practice, paid £150 and was advised to have Ceramic Braces top and bottom for £3000, with two upper extractions(one an old Crown). Invisilgn was ruled out as less effective.She visited her Dentist to have the extraction and was advised they could fit a Brace (Inman Aligner??)top and bottom, no extraction but file the teeth giving an almost as good a result in 4 months, £2400, she did not have extractions as she needed to think.Neither practice provides the treatment the other does and neither mentioned a lingual Brace (ingognito?). We now do not know what to do. She is slightly worried about the conspiciousness of the Ceramic train tracks, particularly on the bottom,but if the Inman aligner is less effective then why not opt for Invisilign, alternatively is an Incognito Lingual brace going to cost more than the £3000 for ceramic train tracks, we may have to pay another £150 just to find out!! Any advice more than welcome.

Q.

Hi,In July, this year i decide to have two new veneers because one of my original kept coming of, i was told the cost would be £600 and because i am sixty that is a lot of money to me but i thought i would have it done to solve the problem it was done on the national health, after 3 weeks one came off, and i had to go and get it fixed which they did`nt charge me because it was only 3 weeks since i had it done,again today the same veneer came of again and i had to go and get it put back on they wanted to charge me £17 pounds but i refused to pay , when you pay all that money you would`nt expect this to keep happening,can you tell me if there is a reason why this is happening, i don`t bite in anything i have done everything they have said, and i am worried now that if i go on holiday this might happen again.

Q.

Hi, I am wondering if you are able to chip/scrap of the bottoms of the tooth so that they are all equal and straight. Also I would like to have my gaps filled and teeth whitened however I’m only a teenager, I’m 15 so I doubt my teeth would have not full developed. Would you only do this on extreme conditions or if I was to request it, also how much would this cost? I have done some research and I have found baking soda does actually help whiten your teeth. Anyway thank you for taking the time to read my dilemma hope you can help thanks.

I look forward to your reply.

Thank you. 

Q.

Hello Dr Moore
Please can you help me, i have severe bone loss in my gums the teeth that i have left are very mobile, and make it difficult to eat, my dentist said my only option is dentures, this makes me very sad. But if that is the case is there such a thing as realistic dentures? My remaining teeth have all moved and so they look crowded in some places and gaps in other places. I find myself trying not to smile as i am very aware that my teeth do not look very nice, my dentist said that only 2% of the population have this really bad gum condition, i have looked into going abroad for treatment because of the cost, but i think because of my problems it would be wise to get any work done here in the uk. Thank you in advance for your reply. KInd regards 

Q.

I am 44 years old and have lost all my teeth apart from 4 front teeth at the bottom which the gums are receiding despite brushing my teeth several times a day and using mouth wash.
I lost my teeth due to the negligence of a local dentist who i visited at the age of 25 to have some fillings in my back teeth when the dentist looked in my mouth he told me i would loose all my front upper teeth if he did not give them urgent treatment panic stricken I
agreed he then filed my 6 upper front teeth down to stubs and put temporary caps on,when he fitted the permanant caps they had gaps at the back where I
could put my tounge in,when complained
he told me I had used up my NHS funds and he could do nothing for 6 months.
Ileft his surgery in tears and went straight to another dentist who treated me every week for at least a year replacing the teeth with teeth on a sort of screw (not sure what you call them) these have now all come out.
I built up the courage 4 years ago to go to a dentist who removed most of the
roots apart from my upper 2 front.
They made me a denture but I cannot have anything at the top of my mouth as i continuosley gag.
I cannot afford implants as I am on benifits what can i do to be able to smile again. I have locked myself away for 10years now only going to my parents
and local shops because im so embarressed, I have brought up my two daughters alone and now there 16 nd 19
and out and about i feel so lonley. I would love to get out agin Im still very
pretty, please tell me if there is any way I can get my mouth sorted out.
I also suffer from narcolepsey and caterplexy.

Q.

Just a message as I am stuck with what to do and where to turn ..
I am 22 years old, and I can safely say that I highly doubt you’ve seen teeth as bad as mine, 97 year old’s probably have better teeth. As a result I have no confidence and avoid talking to people, I rarely smile and it gets me down on a daily basis.

Due to a sever phobia of dentists, I haven’t been to one since I was a young child, as a direct result my teeth have suffered. To add to this, through most of high school I suffered with bulimia. I have lost the majority of my back teeth, and have two very broken molars. I also have a gap between my two front teeth. I’ve never really looked into getting them fixed due to the high costs. I’m not sure where to go or what to do, but I do realise as I am only 22 that my mouth can only get worse, therefore I need to act. I’m just not sure how I’m going to cover the costs, some advice would be greatly appreciated.
Many Thanks 

Q.

hello Dr Andrew Moore. Can you please assist me with my problem. I am looking to get dental implants done, and also all my teeth crowned as they are in a bad way, i have had a couple of consultations and the prices have been between 10k and 12k which is way over what a can afford even with o% finance, I have seen an advert on twitter for implants at 355 pounds each in the uk is this possible and what kind of qualifacations should the dentist have to practice in the uk? as i would like to call and have a chat to them, I would be most grateful for any reply you have. regards and great thanks for your time. .

Q.

Hi Doctor Moore,

My brother was involved in a car crash 20 years ago which resulted in him losing his front two teeth and a titanium plate being inserted into the top palette of his mouth. Two front replacement teeth were drilled into the plate by the NHS at that time.

Twenty years later, he is very conscious that his teeth have moved and he now has a large gap between these front two teeth and the teeth on each side of these are crooked, discoloured and overlapping. His bottom teeth could do with some attention also. He does not smoke or have gum disease.

I keep encouraging him to get his teeth sorted but he’s concerned about a few things:
a) How painful or difficult would it be for him to have his teeth reconstructed under these circumstances?
b) The cost – could you give an indication of how much he would need to spend to correct all 4 teeth at the top of his mouth and correct a couple of crooked teeth at the bottom?
c) How long could he expect his teeth to last? He’s worried that, in his words, “once he starts messing”, he’ll have to continually fund replacement of any veneers or false teeth.

Thank you for answering my questions. I think it would transform his life if I could persuade him to take this step.

Kind regards

Q.

hello andrew would like to no if you wouldnt mind aswering please is that am thinking of haveing some dental work done and i no it will cost alot so just wondering would i be suitable for dental finance and what are the requiements for to be a suitable candidate its because am now 30 and ive always hide my teeth or try to avoid talking to people and i need to do something about it am interested in haveing dental implants and i no i cant afford all the money in one go thats why am trying to fine out wheather i could get dental finance am employed and have been for the past 8 years or so many thanks andrew