Too much choice!

[dazhall]

- Hi all,

First the background info! My first (and last) go at roller blading left me with half a front tooth missing when I was 14. I had a root canal, and a veneer done. As the inside of my tooth was discoloured the veneer did little to hide it, and I've had a grey front tooth ever since. About 10 years after it was done it need re-doing, I had a hole drilled in the back, some of the interior of the tooth removed and I bleached it for a while before a new veneer was fitted. It improved it a little, but not that much.

So I've been to my new dentist today and had a chat about it, and I've got a few options, but I wasn't really sure of all the pro's and con's, so wondered if anyone can help!

Option one was that I could try another whitening treatment, at around £650, and then a new veneer at £450.

Option two was that I could have a crown, after removing most of the tooth so just a post is left. A normal crown is £450, but I also apparently have the option of a zirconia crown for £650 which is supposed to be better, but I'm not sure how.

If anyone can enlighten me on crown front that would be good, the dentist seemed to be saying that removing more tissue from the tooth was not the preferred method, but it sounds like the best option to me. Thanks!

Darren.

Oh, just another quick thing! Do you dentists often mis-count teeth, mine says I have one more than I do! Just noticed it on the print out they gave me! Just a clerical error I'm sure!

[superwoman]

£650 for a zirconia crown-SHOP AROUND! Sorry to hear of ur mishap rollerblading but sounds to me that a crown is ur only best option long term. A good crown should last for 10-15 yrs, however the cost u have been quoted is far higher than I have been quoted for the same thing £500 here in scotland!!!

[Dr Pav Khaira]

I understand what you are trying to say but It's not as simple as shop around, there are different types of zirconia crowns and when made at different labs carry different fees. It's not all about price, quality should be taken into consideration also

I hope this helps

[Dr Pav Khaira]

Hi Darren, it's really difficult to say what needs to be done without a full consultation. In the hands of a skilled dentist bot of these options would yield excellent results

[dazhall]

Having just moved to England from Glasgow I'm finding dental care down here a pain in the arse! Dentist wont give me a scale and polish even though she says I need one, wants me to see the hygienist to the tune of £46! So I think I'll be shopping around for more than the crown!

[Dr Pav Khaira]

It's important that you feel comfortable with your dentist. As I mentioned before quality matters, although I do understand that affordability is an issue for everyone also. Finding a comfortable balance is the key!

[prosman]

Dentist wont give me a scale and polish

How unreasonable of her

[davidbloom]

The crown will almost certainly be the best option aesthetically but will involve a lot more tooth reduction. If you are having a crown an all porcelain crown with a zirconium core will allow better light transmission and so will usually look more life like. The choice of core material will also depend on how dark the underlying tooth tissue is . A crown does not necessarily require a post to be placed and in fact this should only be done if insufficient tooth remains to support a crown. It does however involve a lot more tooth preparation

An alternative is internal bleaching followed by a veneer. Generally if a block out colour is used over the dark underlying tooth tissue this can be very acceptable. I am aware this has been tried in the past but in the right hands could still be a viable option. However if the underlying tooth is very dark then this may involve nearly as much preparation as for a full crown and so if this is the case the crown would be a better option.

My best advise would be to see a dentist accredited by the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD) or at the least a full BACD member. Search for them online at www.bacd.com

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