fractured tooth

[casey55]

Three years ago my dentist performed a "root canal on me and had a partial attached to the tooth he worked on.  I began to have really bad headaches and would remove the partial as soon as I was away from my job.  I repeatedly asked the dentist to check me out to see what the problem was.  He took an xray on the tooth and "root" and I noticed that there was was a break the bone deep inside my gum.  I asked him what it was and he said that I just needed to wait until everything was well.  A year passed and I was still having headaches of a great magnitude.  By this time, I'd lost my partial due to removing it when I was alone in an effort to relieve the pain and pressure in my head.  I continued to see the dental several more times about the pain and soreness in the root canal.  He kept asking to give it some time to heal.  I totally gave up on him and dentists for two years because he would not help and was avoiding me.  I had a dental emergency two months ago and after they'd checked me out via xray, the dentist said that I had a fractured tooth.  It was so evident.  Now I can see that the dentist before this one knew full well that he had fractured my tooth and wanted to do nothing about it to correct the procedure.  Now an endodonist is saying that I must have surgery to have it corrected.  The dentist who referred me to the endodonist told that it may be a chance that the problem will not get corrected.  What do I need to do?  I'm very disappointed right now.  I had a crown chip on me an hour ago.  I thought these things lasted much longer than five years.  I just had an xray on that very tooth last week.  Nothing was mentioned at that time.  It just seems like every time I set foot in the dentist's office, I get more costly trouble than what I had before the visit.

[lynn117]

fatal means it will eventually have to be pulled because its impossible to repair. i am located in ct and here most dentist charge around the same price for a crown no matter what its made of. gold fillings are not bad for you but can cost much more.

[casey55]

The chipped crown I am referring to is located in the back (last tooth on my lower left.  The fractured tooth is located toward the front of my mouth (the third tooth from the front (the one that helps to shape your face.  This tooth is easily seen when I smile.  The part that is broken in located deep inside my head very close to my nose.  This was a perfectly good tooth but the dentist said he needed to place a crown there so it would accommodate a partial he arranged to attach to it.  The crown even has a small metal piece that is attached to it that kept the partial into place.  I but the area hurt the moment the dentist pushed the tooth into place.  It has always felt as if he pushed it too far into my gum.  Am I to assume that a gold crown is more expensive than a porcelain one.  I was told that gold fillings were not good for you.  I kept my fillings for many years.  The dentist has managed to remove them by now.  What you mean by fractured teeth being fatal?

[lynn117]

gold is fantastic for back teeth. its the strongest restoration there is and can withstand the chewing pressure of molars. who cares if they are pretty if they are in the back. since there was no reference to tooth location i suggested gold thinking common sense would negate the use on front teeth due to aesthetics.

[mammo]

I've had the white porcelain crowns for over 20 years with no problems at all.  I wouldn't go for gold, they do last a long time, but not attractive in my opinion.

[lynn117]

fractured teeth are fatal and eventually need to be pulled. they usually do not show up in xrays. there is not much recourse for you now that several years have past. a second opinion should have been sought immediately. tooth fracture is very common and is not , in most cases, the dentists fault. that being said he should have discussed the possibility of a fracture with you after your complaint and discussed your options.
crowns usually have a life of 5+ years depending on the type. the white tooth colored crowns tend to chip. gold crowns last the longest. i have had a gold crown for over 30 years.

[mammo]

Your dentist is obviously inept and you need to report him and your problems to the A.D.A.  Then file a claim against him with the Better Business Bureau explaining as you did above, and requesting that your money be refunded, this can all be done on-line.  What he did was wrong and now you're suffering and incurring a lot of expense due to his negligence. Be very careful with the dental industry, they are always up-selling to make more money. Surgery cannot correct a cracked tooth unless a piece is broken off and that piece needs to be removed, but you aren't saying this.  They only cure I know for a cracked tooth is extraction.  But there are others, more knowlegeble than myself so hopefully someone will jump on here with some advice.  But at the very least extraction will take care of the problem so I don't understand why the dentist told you differently.  Ask the Endodontist to explain specifically to you why he feels surgery is necessary, how and why will this correct the problem.  Keep asking questions until you have a complete understanding of what he wants to do, and why. It should be possible that if the tooth is extracted you can get a new partial and have it connect to the next tooth.  But make sure you see a reputable dentist.  Good luck in all this, I can imagine how frustrated and disgusted you must be right now, and you should be!