Email: Old Filling In A Crown… Replace or Do A New Crown?

Question:

I went to my dentist for a cleaning, which I have every 6 months. I
had a crown put on a tooth that developed an abcess. This was done
approximately 12 years ago. On the visit today, 2/1/17, the dentist
said the filling in the crown needed to be replaced because of age,
but that he wanted to remove the crown and put a new crown on.

I asked if he could just replace the filling, and he in effect said
no.

I maintain that the filling in the crown is just like a filling in a
tooth and that he should replace it. There is no decay issue, and the
filling is about 12 years old and cracked.

Am I wrong in not having the entire crown replaced?

Answer:

I’d tend to agree with your dentist. If the old crown and filling are wearing out getting a new crown is your best option. A crown that has had a hole drilled through it is much much weaker and will tend to break more and more over time. Also, the fillings that are placed through that hole typically don’t seal the tooth as well as an intact crown. The primary reason why root canals fail is because there isn’t a good seal and bacteria gets down in there and causes it to become infected again. A new crown will seal that tooth much better! I know it can be expensive to get a new crown, but it really sounds like that is the best thing for the long term health of the tooth.

Hope this helps!

Dr. M