My Broken Crown--How Long Did It Last?

I have a broken crown in my mouth.  One of the dentists in town did it, but it failed after just a few months.  For as much as it cost, I wanted it to last forever. It makes me appreciate the times patients ask: "How long will this last?"  Each meal, let's estimate I chew a bite of food 10 times.  With 20 bites per meal and three meals a day, that's 600 times a day that crown is used, not counting snacks, popcorn, ice, lifesavers, nuts, nibbling on bones, etc.  This is the environment of my mouth: temperature range from 150 ° F (hot coffee) to 30 ° F (ice cream), acid attacks (diet drinks are really bad), bacterial biofilm, clenching or grinding at night and holding a pencil.  So, I suppose my mouth is a tough place for a crown to survive.  Did I mention that many years ago, that tooth broke in the first place and that's why it needed a crown?  Did I mention that the first crown broke after many years and that's why I needed a second one.  What's a realistic estimate for a crown or filling to hold up?  The unsatisfying answer: it depends.  In a person who avoids sweets and sodas, regularly brushes and flosses, doesn't take any medication that causes dry mouth, doesn't grind at night and sees a dentist regularly in an effort to catch problems while they're small, that crown can last up to 15 years.  That's without gum disease or new decay. But regular wear and tear, even in "low risk" patients, will eventually do in any dental work because a prosthesis is never as good as nature. 

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309