Any dentists about?

[Aranea]

I'm just wondering whether what happened to me today is normal, or a sign that I should be losing faith in my dentist.

I was supposed to be having a permanent crown today, to replace the temporary one I've had for the last fortnight. When I arrived, the dentist tried to pull the temporary crown off but couldn't, so he cut it off. The gum began to bleed profusely, and he was surprised by the fact that it didn't stop bleeding for some time. Then he put the new crown in place to show me the colour match, and I pointed out that it was too dark. He spent some time assuring me that this was due to the blood getting inside the crown, then said he could lighten it with white cement, and finally compared it with his colour chart of sample crowns, at which point he said that it was closer to A3 than to A2, which was what he had requested from the lab.

He has given me another temporary crown and sent back the crown for a replacement.

But, firstly, should that bleeding have happened? and secondly, shouldn't he have checked whether the crown was what he had requested before putting me through all of that?

I am hoping to hear that it's all fine and that I can trust him, obviously!

[thisisyesterday]

i'm not, but if one arrives i have a question too!!!

[thedentist]

Hi. I'm one

Don't worry - all perfectly normal I'd say.

Temporary crowns get stuck and often need cutting off. Because it's a temporary and not a perfect fit around your gum line, over the last fortnight your gums will have got slightly inflamed - hence the bleeding.

Shade match not ideal - it happens. It's difficult for someone in a lab to make a crown the exact shade of your tooth without you there to compare - and difficult for us to exactly match it up on a shade guide. I think it's a reasonable suggestion to lighten it with white cement - also reasonable to replace it.

At least he didn't stick it on and then ask what you thought that would be a bummer!

[Aranea]

Wow, how amazing to get a reply from a dentist! Thank you so much.

That's very reassuring. The amount of blood was a bit of a shock, so I was a little nervous in case it meant something had gone more wrong than the dentist was admitting!

Thank you very much for setting my mind at rest, I feel much better now.

[thedentist]

You're welcome.

Inflamed gums have an amazing capacity to bleed for ages!

[thisisyesterday]

oooh dentist are you still there?

sorry for the slight hijack OP.... i have a wisdom tooth coming through, it's coming through wonky as there isn't enough space and my dentist wants to take it out

i also have a tooth further along which has a very big filling in, which is playing up again. i suspect i may need root canal treatment on it, which i really don't want (cos i am a wuss)

would the dentist take the filled tooth out instead? and if she did would the teeth move along and make way for my nice new wisdom tooth???

i wanted to ask on here before i talk to her in case she thinks i am crazy lol

[thedentist]

could be possible but depends on loooooooooots of factors.

Sorry - ask your dentist

[thisisyesterday]

ahh well if it could be possible then i won't feel too silly asking her. just need to get an appt now