A big chunk of my tooth broke off
 

over the weekend. It's one of the back molars. It has a filling in it, and actually last summer a little chunk of the tooth broke off, but it didn't hurt at all. Then Sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning a larger chunk must have broke off and I guess I swallowed it because the whole back part of the tooth is missing now and it hurts a bit.

So I have an appointment to see the dentist tomorrow about the matter. My dad's telling me I'm probably getting a crown. How long does it take for them to actually install the thing in my mouth? None of this sounds very fun, but right now it's interfering with my ability to eat, and I so I figure I better go get the problem addressed sooner rather than later.

This will depend entirely upon your dentist. Old style is they drill out your tooth, leaving only a base for the crown, and then take a cast of your mouth, which they send ot a lab who fashions a crown for your mouth some days/weeks later. You are fitted with a temproary crown and then leave, tpyically with cold sensitivity, not to return until your permannet crown is ready. You return ofr a visit to have the permament crown fitted some time later.

My current dentist, however, is in the modern world and I love it. He drills your tooth down to the stub, and then digitally images your mouth. He then uses CAD type software to design your crown replacement. This takes only a few minutes. Then he color matches your teet, and chooses a porcelain blank that matches, and then puts the blank in his mill, which is controlled by the CAD software, and causes a permanent crown to be made on the spot. This is then fitted and cemented in place and you are good to go. No return visit, the whole thing takes 60-90 minutes. As someone with far too mcuh crown experience, the new way is by far, even if more expensive (and it relaly isn't) the best way to go.

My dad is a dental lab technician, he's going to make the crown for me. I was instructed that under no circumstances should I allow my dentist to do a crown like you just described above. My dad said those crowns are just junk because they're too soft, and don't hold up very well, especially for a back molar and people are always getting those replaced when they break. He says he can make me one that will last 20+ years.

I'm mostly concerned how long it will take them to grind my tooth down to a little stump. Does it take a couple of hours, or minutes, what? Sounds miserable.

I think what really concerns your father is in creekster's own words the Dentists efforts to "color match your teet." As the master himself, grapevine, once opined: "just slap some iodine on the teets and squeeze milk."

As a capable dental lab technician he knows the power of those x-ray devices and the devious intentions of its users......look on the bright side though, if you still seek romantic involvement it is more likely than not the Dentist is not gay. Unless she is a woman, or a Ute.

Takes the midnight train, goin' anywhere........

He may be right, but let me tell you I love mine. In addition to the time saved, I have never had to return to have adjustments made in the ones that were made on the spot, but I have to other ones. (I have about 6 now.) Moreover, 20 years from now I'll probabyl be dead, so what the heck.

Drilling time depends on where in the mouth and how hard it is, but probabyl ranges from 10-20 minutes. The difficult part is you can feel all the pieces of tooth or prior filling (most of mine are from prior fillings) flying around your mouth. If you have had deep fillings, and you proabbyl have if you had one collapse needing a crown, you'll probabyl be ok with the drilling aprt, as it's not much worse.

Ahh, what difference an 'h' can make. Almost makes you want to go to dental school, eh?

don't mention to this dates. nothing lights a fire like telling dates your teeth are crumbling!

Calcium.

I have so much gold bling in my mouth, I have no doubt that I will be robbed at gun point for them. I have crowns all over the place and I will take nothing less than gold crowns. It totally impresses everyone that I know.

Try brushing your teeth once in a while! :)

I have no room to talk, I have 4 or 5 crowns myself. My advice would be to request some serious painkillers. One of my crowns replaced a deep filling and it hurt for about six months after I got the crown. It takes a while for the nerve to settle down.