My daughter (11 years old) fell and took out a chuck of her two front teeth. The edges or outline were okay, but the middle was pretty much knocked out. Her pediatric dentist suggested dental crowns on those two teeth. I wasn’t crazy about that idea so I took her to my general dentist. He suggested dental bonding. I liked that idea better, but it looks absolutely awful. It’s uneven (like bumpy) and the color doesn’t even match the rest of the tooth, let alone the teeth next to them. She’s humiliated and dreads going to school every day. Did we do the wrong procedure? Should we have gotten crowns?
Emily
Dear Emily,
Dental bonding was the correct procedure for this. The problem lies in the skill of your dentist. This is not a procedure that your average family dentist could do well. Dental bonding is an advanced cosmetic procedure, made even tougher by the fact that it has to be done freehand. I think she needs an expert cosmetic dentist to redo her dental bonding.
If it is as bad as it sounds, your dentist should have the integrity to recognize that and offer a refund. When you replace it, have it done by an AACD accredited dentist. These are the top cosmetic dentists in the country. They can give her a beautiful, natural looking result that blends in seamlessly with the rest of her teeth, similar to the picture above.
Do not do dental crowns. I’m concerned that her pediatric dentist suggested that. First, the pulp of the tooth in an 11-year-old is large and close to the surface. Doing a crown on it can damage the tooth pulp, which will markedly complicate the procedure and lead to the need for a root canal treatment. Additionally, her teeth, bite, and jaw are still developing. She’ll quickly outgrow that dental crown leaving gaps and exposing her to serious decay risk, not to mention looking weird, unless you replace it every couple of years. A good pediatric dentist should understand this.
I’d focus on getting her bonding replaced. Then, you can decide if it’s also beneficial to look for a better pediatric dentist for her.
This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.