Extracting a tooth covered by a crown that covers adjacent teeth
Quote:
> > I have a long crown that covers 3 teeth, #3, 4 and 5. Tooth 1 and 2
> > have been extracted. 3 and 4 are root canaled, 5 is not. My question
> > is: If #3 needs to be extracted, does the long crown (don't know the
> > technical name for this) have to come off all 3 teeth or can they
> > drill off the part around tooth #3 and somehow seal in and preserve
> > the remaining part of the long crown piece? It seems like it would be
> > all jagged. I am asking this question because #3 is sometimes a little
> > sore when I put my tongue on the outside of it. Then it's fine for a
> > week, it's on and off. This has been the case for years and the x-ray
> > shows nothing wrong with the root canals...but I worry about this
> > soreness. I do have painful sinuses so am hoping that the soreness is
> > from that or clenching because often all 3 teeth under that crown are
> > sore.
> Hi goldbanjo!
> ? ? ? ? I'm assuming your "long crown" is actually 3 crowns--on the 3 upper
> right teeth--splinted together.
> ? ? ? ? If #3 needs to come out you can usually (with care) section the
> splinted crowns by cutting between the crowns on teeth #3 and 4. ?Any
> jagged surfaces by the cut can be smoothed and polished in the mouth.
> If these are porcelain fused to metal crowns, care must be taken not to
> fracture the porcelain on the crowns of the teeth being retained.
> ? ? ? ? Obviously I can't tell you that #3 is OK, but you're getting a bit out
> in front of this, aren't you?
> Best,
> Steve
Hi Steve and thanks so much for the quick reply. It's 3 crowns (looks
like 3 until you look closer) but one piece. It does have porcelain
but there is so much gum recession that cosmetically, nobody can see
it. I wish it could all be removed and evaluated. This was done when I
was in my mid twenties, silver points but the x-rays always show the
same thing so the dentist and {*filter*}surgeon say to leave it alone. When
I had tooth #2 extracted last year, the {*filter*}surgeon wanted to do an
apico on tooth #4 but I told him the x-ray is no different than in
prior years. I went back to the {*filter*}surgeon I know well and he said
no, leave it alone, there's nothing that would warrant an apico.
Sometimes I wonder if something is brewing there but it's been a year
and a half and I think I'd know by now if it were infected. I guess I
am getting a bit out in front of this because every couple of weeks I
have pain when I touch those three teeth. I had this 30 years ago also
and in between. It's just happening too often now. I woke up with it
and now it's subsiding so I feel it's either clenching, muscle pain
referred to the teeth or sinuses. I had a brain MRI to rule out
trigeminal neuralgia or any other things pressing on a nerve. He said
to see an ENT so this morning I made an appointment for next week to
see if my sinuses are at fault. I don't want to extract a tooth for no
reason but this is very frustrating and you get to the point where you
just want your teeth pulled. I do have another question...if it is
clenching, can you wake up with no pain and have the pain start in the
middle of the day? Thanks again.
