How long should a crown last? my wife's fell off after two years and the dentist said it was due to decay. she had the covering put on it to avoid this happening, she has great dental hygene and flosses regularly.

On : On average, dental restorations last about ten years. There are many that last much longer, and a few that last a little less. This is a major failure in a very short period of time. Is it a new dentist who told your wife this, or was it the same dentist who did the crown in the first place? You should have a serious discussion with the dentist who made the crown, explain the circumstances, and ask him/her what they thought they coud do "to make things right". Although there are no guarantees for this type of work, in my opinion, it is a "durable good", and should be expected to last a good, long time. I use this example with my patients when they ask me how long do I expect their crown to last: durable goods (cars, televisions, refrigerators, dishwashers) are not expected to last forever, but neither are they a disposable item that may be expected to last only a couple of years. A custom prothesis like your wife's crown is similar in expectation.. Won't last forever, but should last a good, long time.

I : I typically tell patient's that crowns last from 1 day to a lifetime. There are many factors that cause a crown to last or fail. In particular, the remaining tooth condition prior to placement of a crown is extremely important. My personal opinion is that all crowns will fail given enough time because the strongest part of the tooth is no longer present.

Crowns : Crowns could last forever ...Although the supporting structures if not well maintained through regular cleaning with your hygienist (3 to 4 times a year) and good home care, decay can occur and is not a failure of the crown but, the patient neglecting his or her professional maintenance. I personally offer my patients lifetime warranty on all crowns made in our office with cerec system, that warranty is conditional to the regular visits to our hygienist. So we need to assume that your wife did or didn't have caries at the time of the crown placement, and the only way of knowing it is by checking her x-rays after the placement of the crown. Good luck!

The tooth failed: The problem was not with the crown, but the tooth. So the crown itself lasted just fine. Unless the crown was not fitting properly, not cemented properly, or had a gap between the crown and the tooth. Dentists are not responsible for people getting tooth decay.

15 years or more: A properly made crown made with the appropriate material made for an individual with above average homecare, should easily last 10-15 years! in many cases, it should last longer, but ultimately nothing last forever! the crowns in the photo above are 10 years old and going strong! in a situation where the crown lasts 2 years, there is something wrong. Discuss this with your dentist or get a 2nd opt.

Depends: It is always difficult to answer this question. I encourage patients to have dental check ups at least every six months and periodontal patients every three months. This way we can help to keep your mouth healthy and address potential issues. You can get decay under a crown. I would ascertain why it happened and treat the patient. Most insurance companies say a crown should last five years.

Not 2yrs!: Crowns fall off for 2 main reasons. Either the prepared tooth lacks adequet retention, or there is decay! it is unusual for there to be recurrent decay to cause this after 2 yrs! when a crown is prepared to receive a crown, old fillings should be removed and the area debrided of underlying decay, then refilled, then prepared for the crown. This takes time and costs, so it is often neglected.