Expert: Lawrence Spindel DDS, www.lspindeldds.com - 12/3/2009

Question
Yesterday I received my 1st crown, a cerec. The back side is rough and snags dental floss. It seems like a bad fit to me. Am I expecting too much from a tooth that is no longer "real". Can it be fixed or should it be replaced?

Answer
Dear Sandy.

It is not possible to actually diagnose without actually examining your crown. I will try and give you some information that you may find helpful.

Crowns, whether no matter what type, can feel either smooth or rough, depending on the glaze and the carvings of the porcelain.  Some crowns have more texture carved in the occlusal anatomy than a patient's natural teeth. If this is the case, most patients get used to the difference fairly quickly. If a crown is cemented and patient feels a roughness, sometimes it can be polished in the mouth without replacing the entire crown.

In my practice I have an electric drill which can be used in the mouth to polish porcelain. Electric drills tend to rotate porcelain polishing wheels with an extremely concentric rotation and are exceptional in their polishing abilities. When used with a water coolant, they can be used very effectively, to polish crowns after cementation.

Contacts that shred floss can be more difficult to fix in the mouth. I suggest you try using a waxed floss that is thick enough to not be cut when you floss. Some floss is too thin and can be cut when it comes in contact with a sharp edge.  It also is possible that you have some residual excess cement left over in the contact area and this may be snagging your floss. I suggest you call your dentist and see if you can have him take a look and check if you have any residual cement and at the same time you can ask him about the roughness you feel.

I hope this information is helpful and please feel free to contact me again with any future dental questions you may have.