Are the crowns the only solution for my strange bite
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!
A. A lot depends on how severe your open bite is. In these situations I often get a second opinion by an orthodontist. If possible it is always best to move the teeth into the correct position rather than cut them for veneers or crowns. If teeth are heavily prepared – as in the case of crowns – there is always a possibility that the nerve may be affected and root treatment necessary. Having said that I have done many cases where the case was very straight forward and no root treatments were needed. If orthodontics is not possible then I would opt for onlays on the back teeth and veneers on the front teeth – minimizing the amount of tooth that would need to be removed
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