Loose crown..What are my options?

Hello everyone, I have several crowns on my molars. Only 3 or 4 are left that have not been crowned. I think I am beginning to become very skeptical about these crowns being neccessary as very few of them have been painful before the crowns were placed. Right now I have a crown on a pre-molar that is loose. It has been there around 5-10 years. They are saying it needs to be replaced. It does aggravate me and can sometimes been sore. Do I have to go through the entire procedure and cost again or is there something they can do to make it fit better? Also are crowns really neccesssary if you are not having any symptoms? Every time I go to the dentist he tells me I need more crowns, honestly it hurts worse after the crowns are placed then before! Incidentally, I have a twin sister who has never had a crown. hmmmm..Any thoughts would be appreciated

[StratRebel]

Crowns have an average lifespan of 7-10 years, so it is very possible it needs to be replaced.  I rarely see crowns that come loose without having problems underneath that need to be fixed first, but it does happen.

Pain is not really a good indicator of needing dental work of any kind other than a root canal or extraction.  You can have a cavity for years without it hurting as long as it stays far enough away from your nerve.  Just because there is no pain, does not mean there is not something wrong.

However, that all being said, there are unfortunately dentists that will diagnose more than necessary.  Getting a second opinion is never a bad idea.  There are also different ways to approach anything in medicine, so there are dentists that are more aggressive and those that are more conservative, even though both are correct and ethical.  Best suggestion I have for anyone is to find a dentist you are comfortable with, who answers all your questions, explains reasons why he is doing anything, and who you feel you can trust.