I had a same day crown done. There was no temporary crown, which was very convenient. I don’t know exactly what the material that was used for the crown. But it can’t be good, because it has come off three times already. This has all taken place in less than a year. Well, when it came off again, I finally wised up and went to a new dentist. The new dentist said that the setting wasn’t done properly. He used zirconcia porcelain for the new crown. Well, all of this sounded good to me. But, it has already fallen off twice in only a month. Now, he is saying I need a full porcelain crown with a new setting because the bonding isn’t happening on my tooth. I’m so sick of this. Any advice?

– Beth in Flordia

Beth,

The original crown you had placed is called a CEREC crown, which is prepped, fitted, and placed all in the same day. When this type of dental crown (well any type of crown) is placed properly, it should stay on permanently. It doesn’t matter whether it’s porcelain, CEREC, gold, or zicronia. If it is done correctly, it should stay in place.

Therefore, it sounds like there is an issue with the dental bonding and the shape of the tooth when it was prepared. This must be the “setting” that your second dentist is referencing. The tooth should have a slight taper when it is initially prepared so that the cement will properly adhere to the tooth. If it was not prepared properly, it doesn’t matter how strong the cement is. It will continue to fail.

Although, the strength of the cement can be a factor, the bond needs to be sufficient. It is difficult to provide more specific recommendations without having seen your case. The best conclusion is that the tooth was not prepared properly. So, now what?

You need to find an experience dentist, likely a cosmetic dentist that truly understand the bonding techniques and materials required to successfully place a crown. It is not normal for a crown to fall off multiple times. Many dentists go the length of their entire career without this happening. It’s time to have a consultation with a dentist that better understands cosmetic dentistry. Best of luck. Sorry that you are dealing with this situation.

Bottom line is that it’s not the CEREC same-day crown or material used that is causing your crown to fall off.