Need your experience with dental crowns.

rodeo65

DIS Veteran
Joined
Feb 1, 2009
I will be calling other dental offices next week to ask about this, but just wanted to know of other people's experience with crowns. I had two root canals over the past few weeks and now just need the crowns put on. Yesterday, I was in for a cleaning and exam just to be sure there was nothing else going on that needed attention first. My dentist told me that next week's crown prep appointment would consist of the imprints and the gum trimming!!!???

She said they had to "shave" off some of the gum for a correct fit. I have had one other root canal and crown and this was not something my old dentist did. My husband has had extensive dental work and said he's never had his gums trimmed for a crown.

Has anyone had this experience?
 
I will be calling other dental offices next week to ask about this, but just wanted to know of other people's experience with crowns. I had two root canals over the past few weeks and now just need the crowns put on. Yesterday, I was in for a cleaning and exam just to be sure there was nothing else going on that needed attention first. My dentist told me that next week's crown prep appointment would consist of the imprints and the gum trimming!!!???

She said they had to "shave" off some of the gum for a correct fit. I have had one other root canal and crown and this was not something my old dentist did. My husband has had extensive dental work and said he's never had his gums trimmed for a crown.

Has anyone had this experience?
I have a number of crowns; 5 in total - all on root canals. I got the first one 25 years ago and the most recent one last week. Three of the 5 I had placed in Mexico during a "dental tourism" vacation. I have never even heard of "gum trimming"- it sounds hideous! :eek:
 
I have many crowns and never had "gum trimming". It appears to be a thing, just nothing I've ever heard of or any of my many friends who have had crowns.
 


Probably a valid procedure. Not to get too graphic, but they have to make sure they have a good seal around the remainder of the tooth, so if there is any excess or abundant gum tissue around the tooth, the crown won't seal right. You want that crown to seal as perfectly as possible, because now that the tooth has been treated with a root canal, it is basically dead (not receiving any nutrients anymore and will become more brittle over time). Protecting that tooth is of utmost importance, because caries could still attack it. Also, teeth with root canals can become a bit more brittle over time, and prone to fracturing. That has happened to me a couple times, and if it fractures down to the roots? Implant time (or extract it and just have gap in your teeth). You'll be numbed for the procedure, so you will be fine. I'm going to assume that is with one of your back molars, where there might be more gum tissue?
 
Probably sounds worse than it is. As Wubar pointed out, you'll be numb and the "trimming" is likely at a minuscule level. I think they just want to be sure the crown is seated such that it won't create any further problems down the road. If you're worried I'd just say to the dentist- "Dude, that sounds terrible, what the heck is that?" ...Or words to that effect. :)
 
All I can say if anyone needed "gum trimming" it would be me, since I have crowns on back molars that are only 3/4 in my mouth. They did not fully "erupt".

No flipping way would I do that. As you age your gums recede. Keeping those gums are important.

Trim the crown.

I would get a second opinion or see an oral surgeon.
 


Probably a valid procedure. Not to get too graphic, but they have to make sure they have a good seal around the remainder of the tooth, so if there is any excess or abundant gum tissue around the tooth, the crown won't seal right. You want that crown to seal as perfectly as possible, because now that the tooth has been treated with a root canal, it is basically dead (not receiving any nutrients anymore and will become more brittle over time). Protecting that tooth is of utmost importance, because caries could still attack it. Also, teeth with root canals can become a bit more brittle over time, and prone to fracturing. That has happened to me a couple times, and if it fractures down to the roots? Implant time (or extract it and just have gap in your teeth). You'll be numbed for the procedure, so you will be fine. I'm going to assume that is with one of your back molars, where there might be more gum tissue?
{{sigh}} This is where I'm at right now with my 25 y.o. crown (second molar from the back on top). The tooth would need thousands of dollars of endodontics and another crown to save it. An implant is not in the cards due to cost and would result in having a gap for 6 months anyway. I've pretty much decided to have it extracted and a bridge built. :sad1:
 
{{sigh}} This is where I'm at right now with my 25 y.o. crown (second molar from the back on top). The tooth would need thousands of dollars of endodontics and another crown to save it. An implant is not in the cards due to cost and would result in having a gap for 6 months anyway. I've pretty much decided to have it extracted and a bridge built. :sad1:

My condolences. I have multiple implants in my jaw, both upper and lower. Dentists say I just have soft teeth, although no one else in my family has this issue. I do save a bit on the cost as I go to a local dentistry college, where student dentists perform the work while being supervised by certified and licensed professionals. Definitely cheaper than private practice, so if there is a dentistry college nearby, you could check with them for procedures and rates.

Good luck with the bridge!
 
My condolences. I have multiple implants in my jaw, both upper and lower. Dentists say I just have soft teeth, although no one else in my family has this issue. I do save a bit on the cost as I go to a local dentistry college, where student dentists perform the work while being supervised by certified and licensed professionals. Definitely cheaper than private practice, so if there is a dentistry college nearby, you could check with them for procedures and rates.

Good luck with the bridge!
Not an option at all, but thanks. Travelling to Mexico isn’t really practical in this instance either due to an implant being a multi-stage procedure. I think I’m fine with a bridge at this point but I’m having a bit of a challenge convincing my dentist. They prefer to provide only “gold-standard” care. (No kidding $$$ :rolleyes: )
 
I have had several crowns put on as I have horrible teeth. I have never had gum trimming done.
 
I have had several crowns put on as I have horrible teeth. I have never had gum trimming done.
That's me, also. Practically all my teeth are crowned. No gum-trimming. I've had 3 root canals fail. One in a natural tooth (tooth fractured), that's now crowned. And 2 under crowns. One I just had removed (have a small gap where there's no tooth now), and the other removed and replaced with an implant.
 
I have several crowns, never heard of gum trimming. Not sure I like the sound of that! :eek:
 
I will be calling other dental offices next week to ask about this, but just wanted to know of other people's experience with crowns. I had two root canals over the past few weeks and now just need the crowns put on. Yesterday, I was in for a cleaning and exam just to be sure there was nothing else going on that needed attention first. My dentist told me that next week's crown prep appointment would consist of the imprints and the gum trimming!!!???

She said they had to "shave" off some of the gum for a correct fit. I have had one other root canal and crown and this was not something my old dentist did. My husband has had extensive dental work and said he's never had his gums trimmed for a crown.

Has anyone had this experience?

Nope, wouldn't do it!!! I have 6 crowns and never heard of trimming your gums. That doesn't sound right to me. The crowns are supposed to fit - they should have already taken the molds, not make 'your' mouth fit the crowns!!

Also from a pp - would 'never' go to Mexico for dental work, or any other medical, no matter what the cost savings would be.
 
I have 2 crowns - never had or heard of gum trimming. My husband got a crown yesterday actually - no gum trimming.
 
I think it depends on which tooth needs the crown, if it's a back molar, then they probably need to do it.

My Bff hasn't been to the dentist in 5+ years. I remember her telling me that years ago, she had a chipped tooth and she never took care of it. Now she needs two root canals and one she had to see a specialist because one of her roots had calcified so much that the regular dentist couldn't do it. I don't remember her mentioning gum trimming but do remember her mentioning about making the crown fit right.
 
FWIW I've worked in a few dental offices although it's been awhile. Gum trimming is a thing, it's legit - not everyone needs it. In my personal opinion this is something that just used to be done as part of the crown experience, and dentists never explicity explained that they were doing it. Now in today's age they try to bill for as many things as they possibly can and something that used to be part of the procedure for the few people that needed it is being billed seperate as a way to make more money.

It's not common to need the gums trimmed (at leasat not at the offices I worked at) but it was occasionally necessary.
 
Probably a valid procedure. Not to get too graphic, but they have to make sure they have a good seal around the remainder of the tooth, so if there is any excess or abundant gum tissue around the tooth, the crown won't seal right. You want that crown to seal as perfectly as possible, because now that the tooth has been treated with a root canal, it is basically dead (not receiving any nutrients anymore and will become more brittle over time). Protecting that tooth is of utmost importance, because caries could still attack it. Also, teeth with root canals can become a bit more brittle over time, and prone to fracturing. That has happened to me a couple times, and if it fractures down to the roots? Implant time (or extract it and just have gap in your teeth). You'll be numbed for the procedure, so you will be fine. I'm going to assume that is with one of your back molars, where there might be more gum tissue?
I have 14 crowns in my mouth, and I have never had my gums trimmed. However, the 4 different Dentists that put them in did all did put a medicine on my gums before taking the impression of the tooth that causes the gums around that tooth to shrink. They also put that medicine on when they install the crown a couple weeks later, so when the medicine wears off, the gums expand, and they do so beyond the line the crown and the root of the tooth meet..
 
FWIW I've worked in a few dental offices although it's been awhile. Gum trimming is a thing, it's legit - not everyone needs it. In my personal opinion this is something that just used to be done as part of the crown experience, and dentists never explicity explained that they were doing it. Now in today's age they try to bill for as many things as they possibly can and something that used to be part of the procedure for the few people that needed it is being billed seperate as a way to make more money.

It's not common to need the gums trimmed (at leasat not at the offices I worked at) but it was occasionally necessary.
I have heard of Periodontics, where you go to a Periodontist and they trim excess gum tissue that can trap food and bacteria and cause decay. When I go in for a Dental exam they always check the readings for the "pockets" around my teeth because some day I may need that done to the gums around my wisdom teeth. So far flossing and brushing and a dental rinse have kept things from advancing to that point, but that has nothing to do with crowns. I just have flabby gums around my wisdom teeth, and of course they are so far back they can be hard to brush and floss.
 
DH and I have both had it done. Dental technology has come a long way in the past 30 years.

I agree they may not always tell you they're doing it, so people may not know it was done. Ours explained everything fully.

And some dentists may still be doing things the old way, idk. Ours was a restorative specialist so she was up on the latest of everything.
 

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