Improper Fitting Crowns, Bridges and Implants
If you or someone you know has improperly fitting dental hardware and believe it was due to poor dental treatment, you should contact Brendan F. Mulligan, the dental injury attorney.
A dental crown or “cap”, as it is commonly called, is simply a covering that is placed on a tooth that can no longer be restored with a simple filling. When a tooth is severely damaged or to improve appearance, shape or alignment of teeth, a dentist may recommend a crown be done.
The crown is made by reducing the tooth structure, taking an impression of the reduced tooth and then having the dental laboratory fabricate the crown. The patient will then return for permanent cementation. When multiple teeth are being crowned and splinted together this is called a “bridge”. Crowns can also be placed on top of dental implants to restore a tooth that is missing or has been extracted.
IMPROPER FITTING CROWNS, BRIDGES AND IMPLANTS
Crowns and bridges are an excellent way to restore teeth that are weak, fractured, discolored or missing. However, if crowns or bridges are made poorly they can cause major problems for a patient including tooth loss. It is imperative that when a dentist prepares a tooth for a crown that he removes any and all decay that maybe present. If decay is left, the crown or bridge will eventually fail resulting in tooth loss.
When the dentist takes the impression for the permanent crown or bridge, the dentist must make sure an accurate impression is taken. A poor impression will result in a poor crown or bridge that will fail.
After the crown or bridge impression is taken, it is imperative that the dentist takes a bite registration of the area to make sure that the permanent crown or bridge will properly occlude with the patient’s existing dentition. If the occlusion is wrong, the crown or bridge will fail and result in possible tooth loss.
Finally, before a crown or bridge is permanently inserted the dentist must make sure to check all margins and contact areas. Open margins and contact areas result in food entrapment and tooth loss.
If you or someone you know has had extensive dental crown and bridge treatment and it has failed, you need to call the dental malpractice attorney, Brendan F. Mulligan, D.M.D. Esquire.