Q. My 17 year old daughter has been told she needs to have several crowns fitted, due to decay. However, her NHS dentist refuses to fit them until she is 18 or 19. Is there any reason they cannot be fitted now?,

Q. I am registered with an n.h.s. dentist who is practicing in a verymodern surgery. I am considering having my front crowns replaced (maybe 6) after about 20yrs. He has quoted me £400 each for Procera replacements which will obviously be private treatment. What I would like to ask is would I get better results if I went to a private dentist or is he just as qualified even though an n.h.s. dentist. Does being an n.h.s.dentist mean he’s not competent enough to be in private practice yet because I don’t want him practising on me. Thanks in anticipation of reply.,

Q. hi there…i’ve had a gold crown fitted on my tooth since july but i now want it off…is that possible and what are the procedures and costs…the thing is when i went to the dentist i only wanted a little gap closed but the dentist suggested the crown…i’ve tried to get used to it but i can’t,

Q. I’m 33 yrs male living in India. I’ve a bad toothless smile due to deep bite. I’ve no functional problems but my upper teeth are not revealed while smiling which makes me look toothless like a geriatric. I visited a dentist (he’s an endodontist and not a cosmetic dentist) & he has ruled out orthodontics without jaw surgery. But he has suggested crowning 8 of my upper front teeth (including incisors and canines). But he insists on root canaling them since most of the tooth structure would be removed in order to bring about the cosmetic effect. I had a second opinion & this dentist says that root canaling perfectly healthy teeth is a bad idea since root canaled teeth will eventually have to be extracted after 10-15 years. He says that I can have crowns without root canal. The first dentist says that properly done root canals can last a lifetime and in case of any problems later on, root canals can always be redone. He has promised 60-70% of the cosmetic effect that I expect. Now what I’d like to know is: 1. Will crowning bring about the desired cosmetic effect? 2. Will root canaled teeth have to be eventually extracted? 3. Will root canals be redone through the crowns or by removing the crowns and putting them back? 4. After crowns, will I lose any functionality? I badly want to improve my smile which is a great setback in my career and social functioning. Please advise. Thanks and sorry for the lengthy description.,

Q. I had a crown which has fallen out, along with the crown coming out the root fell out as well. It is one of the teeth near the front, top row. What advice would you give and is it expensive?

Q. Hello. I am a 31 years old male pharmacist who needs 4 upper front dental crowns. I consulted with three reputable dentists, and they all say I do not qualify for veneers because I have large fillings, and not enough bone structure for veneers. I did a research on the internet, and it seems to be that multiple dental crowns are rare in people of my age, 31 years old. I feel somewhat embarrassed, and it makes me feel old and falling apart. It is a psychological issue and my dentist does not completely understand it, I think. Is it rare for a patient of my age, 31, to require 4 front crowns? Throughout my life, my teeth were always more vulnerable to decay. As a result, dentists did a lot of drilling. Unfortunately, I have large front fillings some with recurrent decay around the them. I understand that I need this procedure to save my teeth in the long run. But I feel so much uneasy about having this procedure done. Because almost all of the bone will be filed away during preparation, it seems to me that this procedure is really a tooth loss. The tooth that is receiving a crown will not longer be functional. Technically there is no tooth loss because the root is saved, but the crowned tooth can’t exist without the cap anymore. What scares me is that this procedure is irreversible. I am seeing a reputable cosmetic dentist and I do not question his quality of work. But still, just like others, he will have to take away most of the bone during crown preparation. Thank you for your answer

Q. I recently had my front tooth chipped (october) and since then I have had it filled twice. It has now fallen out again which is getting quite annoying. The filling come with a year guarantee but I was wondering if there was a possibility of my dentist putting a cap on the tooth under the guarantee or do you think I would have to pay?

Q. Dear Dr. Caplan I have a strange bite where my teeth only touch at the very back. I have had this since childhood and have learnt to compensate accordingly (no problems eating etc.). I am now 34 and my new dentist advised there are too choices, surgery – which I would rather avoid especially since the reults are not a given and secondly to crown the teeth and create a new bite. This would mean crowning 10 teeth on the top and ten on the bottom. My dentist says it would change the way I speak (get rid of my slight lisp) and correct my bite and prevent it worsening over time and over-crowding of the teeth. Are crowns the right solution? 20 crowns seems very extensive and no doubt expensive! What problems could I forsee? Will I develop problems in the future if I do not do this? How long with crowns last? Thank-you!

Q. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having posts added to root canals? If it is not absolutely necessary, would it be wiser to wait? At what age do dentists start advising people to add posts? I have had a few front crowns for a few decades now. Thanks!!

Q. Re:Capped Teeth I recently had my 2 top front teeth capped,1 is fine the other is much thicker causy my old tooth was knocked back years ago,so having trouble actually biting into food,have to break food or eat soft stuff.Also I seem to be lisping a bit.Caps seems to stick to my lip a bit,dry like.Will things get better in time or no? Had them done about 4 weeks ago. Thank you for your time.