Dental crowns are easily one of the most commonly placed restorations in dentistry and there are countless placed every day across the United States. These tooth-shaped covers serve a range of different purposes, making crowns one of the most diverse solutions available. However, despite their popularity and the relative simplicity with which they can be placed, they are not immune to problems. If you are unfortunate enough to experience complications with a crown as a result of a negligent dentist, you could be entitled to compensation for the problems that have ensued from the poor placement of your dental crown.

Here’s what you need to know about dental crowns, what can go wrong and what symptoms you need to look out for that mean that you need to seek further professional help before you pursue a claim for dental negligence.

About dental crowns

Dental crowns are tooth-shaped covers that are custom-designed to fit over the top of a specific tooth. They are usually made from either metal, porcelain fused to metal (pfm) or 100% porcelain. The latter are particularly popular as they can be glazed in a shade that matches your existing teeth, helping your crown to blend in with your natural smile. Often porcelain crowns are so discreet that it is impossible to tell them apart from natural teeth.

Crowns can be used in a number of ways. These include:

- Holding a broken tooth together

- Covering a tooth that is severely decayed or damaged

- Restoring a tooth that is badly eroded

For a crown to be designed and fitted, the underlying tooth must first be prepared. This can mean drilling away and removing areas of decay, making the tooth smaller so that the crown can fit over the top, or in some cases, using filling material to build the tooth up so that it can support the crown. This is usually done using local anesthetic where required.

What complications can occur if a crown is negligently designed and placed?

There are a variety of reasons why a crown can fail naturally. However, there are also complications that can occur if there is any degree of negligence on the part of your dentist. Some of the most common include:

- Failure to remove all of the decay presents in the tooth before the crown is fitted.

- Failure to treat an infection in the tooth before the crown is fitted.

- Ensuring that there is no gap between the crown and the gum line.

- Ensuring all visible cement is removed from the surface of the crown/gum.

- Filing down too much of the natural tooth so that there isn’t enough structure for the crown to fit onto.

- The crown is a poor fit and is causing problems such as pain.

Symptoms of crown complications

You may be suffering from complications as a result of your dental crown if you experience any of the following symptoms:

- Sharp pain or toothache

- Pain or sensitivity in the gums

- Sensitive teeth

- Pain when you bite down or close your jaw

- Discomfort in the jaw muscles or temporomandibular joint (TMJ)

- Infection in the gum around the crown

- A loose crown or crown that falls off

Although these symptoms don’t necessarily indicate negligence, if you have reason to believe that they have occurred due to negligent behavior, you may have a case to request compensation.

Every dental negligence case is unique and assessed on a case by case basis. If you suspect that your dentist has been in any way negligent in the placement of your dental crown, our expert dental malpractice attorneys would be delighted to review your case on a no-obligation basis. Please call our offices today to schedule your case review.