{"id":1384,"date":"2012-05-29T11:42:18","date_gmt":"2012-05-29T18:42:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mynewsmile.com\/blog\/?p=1384"},"modified":"2016-07-08T13:42:20","modified_gmt":"2016-07-08T20:42:20","slug":"decay-on-a-tooth-with-a-crown-after-only-seven-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mynewsmile.com\/blog\/decay-on-a-tooth-with-a-crown-after-only-seven-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Decay on a tooth with a crown after only seven years"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. Hall
\nI have a 7 year old porcelain crown with a cavity underneath. What would cause this to happen? And could you recommend a good cosmetic dentist for me?
\nThank you.
\nJudi from Ohio<\/p>\n

Judi,
\nSeven years isn’t very long for a crown to last. When any crown is done, regardless of the material that is used, the dentist needs to be sure that the margin, which is the place where the crown meets your tooth, has no gaps in it, and that it is smooth. If there is any roughness at the margin or if there is a gap, even a very tiny gap there, it will attract plaque and will be a place that will be extra vulnerable to recurrent decay.<\/p>\n

Insurance companies will generally have a standard that they expect a dental crown to last a minimum of five years and won’t pay for a replacement anytime sooner than that. But most dentists would feel that the crown should last much longer than that and would be embarrassed if it got new decay in seven years, unless the patient were particularly prone to cavities.<\/p>\n

And I see that we do not have a recommended cosmetic dentist close enough to you. If you are serious about this request and it wasn’t just an offhand question, get back to me, and we will research this and find you a great cosmetic dentist. Please see my separate post, how we choose a cosmetic dentist<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dr. Hall<\/p>\n