Question:
\nI have dental crowns and there is decay under them. I have several root canals and need another one. Can the crowns I have be reused after the root canal and decay are taken care of. I cannot afford to have all new crowns done and I have been told due to a sensitive gag reflex I would have a hard time wearing dentures. I am a 70 yr old who thought my dental problems were solved 7 years ago when I had the crowns done. I am so frustrated with dentists and the poor care and advice I have gotten in the past that I find it hard to trust what any of them tell me.
\nChristine from Florida<\/p>\n
Christine, As far as your general problems, you can help yourself a great deal, if you are still tending to get a lot of decay, by reducing your frequency of eating. Some people are under the false impression that the best way to fight tooth decay is to brush well and floss. But if you snack repeatedly during the day, no amount of brushing and flossing will be enough. See our page on tooth decay<\/a> for a discussion of this issue.
\nIf you have decay around or under a dental\u00a0crown<\/a>, sometimes the crown can be patched. It depends on how extensive the decay is. If it gets too deep inside the crown, the crown will have to be removed, which may require cutting the crown off, making it impossible to use it again. But, even if there is extensive decay,\u00a0if the crown can be removed intact and money is an issue, sometimes it can be relined with a buildup material and placed into service again.<\/p>\n
\n– Dr. Hall<\/p>\n\n
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