O/T Dental advice

[Guest guest]

I am at this step now and trying to figure out what to replace the crowns

with. I have been given a choice of gold, gold underlay with porcelain,

porcelain only, or a new kind of crown made of zirconium.

Does anyone have any advice on which is best? I have four gold

crowns so it is going to be an expensive undertaking. I'd like to only

have to do this once.

The IAOMT dentist I am going to indicated that gold

was the most long lived of the choices for crowns, porcelain with gold

underlay nearly as good, and zirconium an unknown as too new.

He said the porcelain alone had a pretty high failure rate after

5 years in his experience, though they are better now than

5 years ago so could be they would last longer. I had

12 amalgam filllings that were replaced with porcelain and

so far that seems to be working okay for me. He charges

the same irregardless of my choice of crown type, so that is

not a factor.

I am sure that there are differing opinions on this, but I would

like to know them all so I can make a decision with my eyes

wide open as to the plusses (sp?) and minuses of each.

Thanks for any insights or info,

Sue

>

> > Based on my experience, anyone with crowns wanting to chelate I

> > would do as much homework with the dentists who performed the work

> > (if possible), to help determine the chance of amalgam used for the

> > base/build-up underneath crowns. The older the age of crown (and

> > previous fillings in which the crown replaced), the more likely that

> > amalgam exists underneath.

>

> I would go so far as to say that every crown should be checked under that is

> metal, unless there is definate proof that you don't need to. Dentists are

> notorious for the phrase, " I'm sure it is fine " .

> Well, I'd trust a politician before a dentist.

>

> Most crowned teeth only got that way because they were very damaged before

> being crowned. That means that they were heavily repaired (usually with

> amalgam) until they could not be repared anymore.

>

> I urge clients to remove all metal crowns to check underneath and if

> possible replace with a safer substnace. I would say 80% or more have had

> amalgam underneath. It is the norm rather than the exception with old

> crowns.

> Dean

>