Expert: Mark Bornfeld DDS - 9/17/2006

Question
Three days ago I had a permanent crown installed on tooth number 5. The first attempt was a failure due to bonding agent not adhereing. The second attempt was successful. From the moment the numbness wore off, when I drink something hot/cold, the tooth that is capped, aches. Then this morning I noticed that the tooth seems a bit unstable. I can get movement of the tooth (crown) with my tongue. Not a lot of movement but some and I don't think it should be moving at all. I am now worried that the bonding agent is coming loose and I will lose the crown, which I paid a small fortune for, so swallowing the crown is really not an option. What do you suggest?

Answer
Dear Ms. Hardenbrook,

It is difficult to infer just what is going on from your description alone. However, your narrative suggests that something is fundamentally wrong with either the crown or the tooth. There should not be substantial aching (although some sensitivity would not be unexpected so soon after the cementation), and there should not have been any difficulty getting the crown cemented the first time (the rapid dislodgement suggests either that the tooth is too broken down to reliably hold the crown, or that the fit of the crown is inaccurate). However, there most certainly should be no perceptible looseness of the tooth (this may reflect either a loosening of the crown on the tooth, or more seriously, a loosening of the tooth root in the gum).

I suggest that you return to your dentist for a re-evaluation, since the crown as it is now is not reliable.

Good luck!

Mark Bornfeld DDS
www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY