Do l need ceramic teeth casings?

[ArseInTheCoOpWindow]

I clench my teeth a lot. I have a mouth guard for nights.

During lockdown a lot of my fillings have broken. I managed to see a dentist. He filled one and said there was no point doing the rest as they would just break again and l really need ceramic casings at 600 quid x 4. I can’t afford this.

So l have 4 infilled broken teeth which he said there was no point filling?! Is this right?

I've also got a mouth guard for jaw clenching issues, and have shattered several molars, but have never had ceramic casings mentioned. I have three crowns and an implant.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

I am sorry for your teeth problems. I am a dental professional, but without seeing you in person I cant diagnose your issue, ...so take what I say as a guideline.. It is almost 100% true that what your dentist is telling you is correct😭

I hate to give you a dissertation but I feel I need to explain the whole process of what's actually going on in your mouth...
I, too am a clencher... I dont remember exactly how many pounds per square inch the human bite is capable of, but suffice it to say..it is enormous. Since we are clenchers we subject our poor teeth to an unusually horrific amount of extra pressure...I have even worn through many a night guard!

Here's a little bit about teeth...the enamel surrounding our teeth is the strongest tissue in our body...unfortunately, mammals have bacteria in their mouths that produce acids when they poop on our teeth ( sorry to be so graphic..but in plain English it's the truth) of course we can't see this going on because the bacteria are microscopic
Over time, this acid can penetrate the enamel of our teeth if we don't brush and floss regularly(at least 2times /day)
And if we eat lots of carbohydrates which the bacteria especially love, the rate of decay is faster.
Another problem is if we drink lots of acidic wine, tea, etc.

Ok, so this all leads to cavities in our teeth which can go undiscovered for several years especially if we wait until we have an actual toothache to go to the dentist...by then the cavity is usually huge....to 'fill' this cavity the dentist must drill out the affected part of the tooth and then place some kind of material in the drilled out hole. .. back in the olden days, dentists used what was called amalgam..which was mercury mixed with silver and over time, especially with a clencher, these 'fillings' would get cracks in them thereby requiring that the filling be replaced with an even bigger filling. And every time this happens the integrity of the enamel is lessened
Not too many years ago when it was discovered that mercury was actually poisonous, a white glass composite that could be mixed and put in the tooth and then cured with a UV light... these fillings looked fabulous ! Like a brand new virgin tooth.....but..and its a big but because they were very expensive and..it was later discovered that these fillings weren't as durable as the mercury ones..they developed gaps between them and the actual enamel and also could develop cracks...allowing the bacteria is get to the vulnerable under layers of the teeth.
Now we get to your present state of affairs
You didn't say how old your are but it is really quite a miracle that our teeth can survive as long as they do considering what we subject them to.....my father passed a few years ago and had every single tooth that had erupted into his gums since he was 6 years old on..pretty amazing ! 4 first molars and 8 front teeth that were 86 years old

Sorry for getting side tracked..

Anyway, sounds like your dentist felt that the tooth he filled was salvageable ...but that the other 4 that he recommended to put crowns on ( the ceramic casings you're referring to) are too far gone...our teeth actually get microscopic cracks in then also from chewing on hard things like ice, or from clenching.
If these crack from above the gumline(part of the tooth we can see) then a crown can be put over the cracked tooth.....if the crack extends down into the root of the tooth, it can't be crowned and it must be pulled...unfortunately I know this from first hand experience 😭😭😭😭
I had to get an implant put in the vacant spot. It really broke my heart to have to get a tooth pulled! It was a first molar that I had grown to love and cherish since it'd been in my mouth for about 50 years🎻🎻🎻😂
Lol, I've run on so long, I'm going to post this bit before it's lost and will come back and post your options in a short bit

I’m 57. They’re all cracked. But l just cannot afford those ceramic casings. I need 4 at 600 quid each. I can’t afford 2.5k at the moment!

What else can l do? Crowns?

They don’t need pulling out.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow
I'm back...get comfy..
Sometimes we as dental professionals rush through an appointment and tell the poor patient what needs to be done and out the door we go...not even thinking that we've just dropped a huge bomb on them ...and a very expensive bomb at that....a £2400, bomb...you could buy a good used car for that!!!!!
The dentist failed you in several ways...I don't blame him/her one bit, though because most dentist don't have the time to sit down and explain the situation to the patient because there are 3 other patients in rooms waiting for him/her plus a few in the waiting area ( prior to covid of course)
Someone might say to you, " Well, Window, if you had questions why didn't you ask them?" First off you have sticker shock, second off you have no idea if the dentist is just telling you this to make ££££., and last but not least...you have no idea what to ask.

Here are some options...
From your history it sounds as if you truly do absolutely need 4 crowns so that you do not lose those 4 teeth... people who don't know the ramifications of pulling a tooth might tell you..."If I were you, I'd just have those four teeth pulled out and use the 2400 quid for a holiday!"
That's because they have no idea what happens when a tooth is pulled...our teeth are actually not completely stationary in our mouths...you might have found that out if you've not worn your night guard in awhile so it is a bit tight to put back in your mouth. So,
Let's say you had one of your bottom first molars pulled out and just left the space there...over time, your top molar would begin to drop down somewhat because our teeth need opposing force to hold them in one spot....also the 2nd molar behind the empty space would begin to tilt forward...so you can imagine what would happen if you had those 4 teeth pulled instead of repaired...your problems, especially if you live for many years, would only get worse over time.

Ok, so now solutions as I see them
You didn't mention as to whether these 4 teeth were causing you pain....I sure hope not!

1. if not, you can ask the dentist if he can rate them as to which is the worst and start with that one first.... 2)some dentists offer discounts if you pay with cash so you could ask the office what the cash discount is. 3)Another option, is that some offices use a company that will finance the cost of the work.
2. you might be able to find a dentist who doesn't charge quite that much, but you have to be careful with these as their skills might be reflected in their prices
3. You didn't mention where you live, but if you live near a dental school, they usually offer treatment at a nominal fee(cost of materials) as the students need guinea pigs patients to learn procedures....this sounds quite risky, but in fact it is a very safe way to have work done because the student's work is checked by a professor at every step of the way unlike in the real office where there are no checks and balances...you just assume the dentist has done a good job.
4. not exactly good timing with covid 19 but where I live in the US many people will travel across the border to Mexico where the dental care is excellent. If you live near a different country you could do some research but make sure their standard of care is equal to your own country...I have seen some atrocious dental work from a bad dentist who actually added a few extra teeth than is normal for a human
5. back in the olden days they used to use stainless steel to make crowns...looked horrendous, but served the purpose pretty well..dont know if they still do this @ArseInTheCoOpWindow, Iknow I was a bit long winded, but short answer is, YES, I do feel you need the crowns. Although, as @FuzzyPuffling Has said, she's had 3 crowns. This is the correct term for what you need...not a ceramic casing...although this could be because of a language translation difference. If you live in an English speaking country, I would be kind of leary of a dentist that used that term., though. Good luck...in the mean time try not to chew hard foods and wear your mouth guard as you say you do. Sometimes though a piece can break off even if you haven't bitten down on something hard...it is so rotten underneath that it collapses with little to no force. Pleased excuse any bad grammar or mistakes...my phone has a mind of its own.

I think casing must be an English term. But a gold crown is 200 quid.Are they as good as a porcelain crown?

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow
Hi,
Gold is a very strong substance for dental repair and has been used for that purpose for many thousands of years....
If £200 is the price you were quoted for a gold crown, it is actually a gold alloy ...meaning it is gold mixed with several other metals to bring the cost down..
(Nickel being one of the alloys plus others)
In answer to your question...
For the purpose of a price- effective crown, these "gold" crowns are actually very good and will usually last a lifetime.

Two issues with them though...

1. dentists do not like to use them on front teeth because they aren't aesthetically pleasing....
2. if you have metal allergies they present a problem with bad reactions...such as you'd have if you wore a ring containing nickel your finger could develop a rash, etc In answer to your gold vs. Ceramic....yes the gold crowns are as good if not better. I was just thinking about my first molar (that had to eventually be pulled out)...after the large filling broke down that was put in when I was a child, the dentist put a porcelain over metal crown on the tooth....ha! Because of my clenching problem within a few months I had chipped the porcelain right off in some spots on the biting surface🙄 I Googled dental costs in the UK. I was a bit taken aback that they are as least comparable if not higher than in the US.
   Everything here in the US is all about anesthetics now......so restorative dentistry is very expensive ( patients are only thinking about how good they will look more than their dental health) because of this when a dentist diagnoses a dental problem their first thought is to use the metaphorical "gold standard" when repairing a problem....when other lower cost options are available for repairs

I once again apologize for the dissertation...but as a dental professional I feel it is my duty to educate you and others about your dental health....you've presented the opportunity for me to answer your questions to my full abilities.
More people need to be aware of how dental disease can affect the overall health of the body.

He said ceramic was flexible. But they are back teeth. So l think l will ask for gold crowns.

Thank you.

You're welcome
Good luck