Should I have to cover cost of cracked crown that looks bad?

Q. Hi, I just began seeing this dentist who was going to put a porcelain crown on one of my molars. She told me to bite down to get it in place and the porcelain cracked. She told me that it is because my bite is unusually strong. I felt like I was being careful. She said the lab would cover the cost since it happened at her office but that they would only cover it once. The next crown was porcelain fused around one side of a metal crown for cosmetic purposes. She told me to bite down and I was being careful but then she said I even chipped the porcelain on that crown. She said it didnt really matter since it was metal underneath. When she tried to remove it, it took her about 20-30 minutes to remove it. She was banging and jerking all over it. She finally got it off and then cemented it in place. The fit is good but the pocelain is totally chewed up and looks bad. I was wondering if this is a common issue with crowns/dentists or if the dentist should cover the cost of a new crown since the lab won’t. I paid $1100 for the crown and it just doesnt seem ethical to leave such a chewed up crown in place.,
A. It sounds as though the laboratory that they use to make their crowns don’t use good quality porcelain. In saying that, some people do have unusually heavy bite’s on certain teeth. I would not be too concerned with her quality of work. Whether the crown is still providing a good fit is another story, only a dentist will be able to ttell you that. If you do not trust her, then it’s not such a bad thing to seek a second opinion.Justin Glaister
Dr Justin Glaister Umbrella 11 Harley Street, London, W1G 9PF Web: www.umbrellasmiles.com Tel: 020 7612 9810 View My Profile Dr Glaister

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