A Crack in the Crown and a World of Debt
Added: September 29, 2006 - 4:45 PM
By: Patient Email Withheld, Oakland, CA
Need Dentist / Specialist:
No
Provide Cost Estimate:
Yes
X-rays Available:
Yes
Case Summary
Crown
Extractions / Oral Surgery
Teeth:
Last Full Mouth X-Ray: in january 2006
Case Description
In May 2004, I got a crown done with an endodontist in Los Altos. A year later in October 2005, my dentist noticed that the crown had cracked. Several months later I noticed that there was a decay smell coming from that tooth. I went back to the endodontist who originally did the work and he unearthed a horrible smell. he said that food had gotten trapped beneath the tooth and increased the amount of decay. He said that he would need to do a crown lengthening surgery which costs $850 and he would cover the cost of the crown.
My current dentist said that what essentially caused the problem was that the crown originally fit too small which allowed food to enter. The endodontist quoted me a reduced cost of $680, but is it worth it? Or should I wait for my insurance to re-activate in january, which may be significantly less, but I have a temporary filling in.
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