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Question:
Removing Crowns: I have a crown on my front tooth that needs to be replaced.
Only the root w/post remain of this tooth, as I had a root canal years ago.
Since my gum keeps receding and removal of the crown invariably disturbs and usually removes a small amount of gum tissue, is there any way to remove the crown without grinding it off? Perhaps drilling a small hole or two on the backside and injecting something to soften the cement?
The crown is 4-5 years old. ...Visitor from PA
Answer:
It is difficult to give you a definitive answer to your question on this internet forum. First without an x-ray to see the condition of your root canal and post and core build-up, the level of bone holding your tooth in, as well as the health of your gum tissue, any advice would be a guess.
If this crown is only 4-5 years old something is wrong because a well made quality crown restoration should last quite a few years more than 4 years.
This being said, I know of no method to inject something that can soften the cement around your crown.
Sometimes after root canal treatment there is a type of crown that is made with a cast post that is part of the crown. This cast post and core crown is then cemented down the prepared canal of the tooth. It is very hard to remove this cast post and core crown that is securely cemented down a canal.
Trying to get this crown off can sometimes fracture the root of the tooth, which then requires extraction.
The other way a root canaled tooth is made stronger is to prepare the tooth so that a fibercore or clear post can be "bonded" into the root of the tooth which is extremely strong. This type of build-up is made of a strong tooth colored bonded material that blends great with a full esthetic all porcelain crown.
Crowns for the critical smile zone front teeth should always be made of all porcelain, which is the most natural and beautiful of all crowns used in the anterior areas of the mouth.
When front teeth are built up with metal posts and silver or dark colored material it is very hard for the laboratory porcelain artist to hide this dark tooth with an all porcelain crown. He must use opaque porcelain, or porcelain bonded to metal crowns which are not as natural looking as all porcelain crowns, and tend to show a dark line at the neck of the tooth close to the gum.
You can always tell if someone has porcelain to metal crowns on their front teeth. They are slightly opaque looking and seem to have a dark appearance where they are cemented onto the tooth near the gum tissue.
If you have a porcelain to metal crown you may want to seek out a cosmetic dentist who is skilled in providing all porcelain crowns. This type of restoration is much more difficult to prepare correctly and bond than porcelain to metal crowns. And they look more like natural teeth as well.
You were also concerned with losing gum tissue if your crown had to be cut off from the front. A crown can be sectioned and cut off from the back of the crown which is a much less critically cosmetic area.
ComfortableDental.com
Ron Briglia, DMD
Chester County Medical Building
600 East Marshall Street, Suite 201
West Chester Pennsylvania PA 19380
(610) 692-4440
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