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.,