Dental Crowns Keep Causing My Gums to Bleed
Question submitted by: Jamelia
I had eight dental crowns done for a smile makeover. The first set had to be removed and redone because they were causing my gums to inflame and bleed. Unfortunately, the second set had a similar problem. Now they are suggesting that I wear temporaries for three months. I’m not sure what that is going to do to help because I thought temporaries were pretty much the same thing as the permanent ones. I decided to get a second opinion. That dentist told me that the crowns were over-contoured. I’ve sent the x-rays to a dentist in Mexico and he said he could give me a new set that will fit. Will that get the swelling down?
Jamelia
Dear Jamelia,
First, you are correct that wearing the temporary crowns longer will not help. In fact, it could make them worse. The cement will begin to deteriorate and bacteria will start to accumulate. I’m a bit concerned that between two sets of crowns that have been seriously problematic and the suggestion about the temporary crowns, that you are not with the best dentist.
As for what is wrong, I haven’t examined you so I can’t tell you if your dental crowns were over-contoured. That is something which could cause a problem with inflamed and bleeding gums. In the image above, which is not completely accurate but will give a basic idea, the tooth on the left has the natural contours needed for a tooth to provide optimum health on your gums. The one on the right is over-contoured. This causes a couple of problems. First, it will trap bacteria. Second, it will put pressure on gums that will already be tender from the bacteria.
That being said, while getting these dental crowns fixed will take care of the inflammation and bleeding, I’m not sure Mexico is the place to go to get this done. The standards in Mexico are very different from the United States. When it goes well, you can save some money. When it doesn’t go well, you don’t have any recourse. Often when things go wrong, they go seriously wrong.
My suggestion is that you go to a prosthodontist. They are specialists who have expertise in dental crowns and will make sure you get them done properly.
This blog is brought to you by a gentle prosthodontist in Tucson, Dr. Howard Steinberg.
