2 Cavities 6 Months Ago, Now 3 Crowns?????

I would definitely get a second opinion. The exam may cost you a fraction of price of what the 3 crowns would cost.

Hey J., L. here.
We've got a great dentist just at Tanque Verde & Sabino Canyon, right next to T.V. Pediatrics. His name is Dr. Wexler, he's a family dentist, takes great care of Ilaria. Sounds like it's worth a 2nd opinion, especially when you're talking the cost of 3 crowns! Good Luck!

Hi J., My opinion is to definately get a second opinion! If your other dentist had not said anything previously about watching any of your teeth. Because going from being fine to needing crowns is a bit much, that is unless you completely stopped brushing and started doing drugs...I can't see having that much damage any other way. So yes, get a second opinion!
Hope this helps...also, the only reason I put doing drugs is because of the way they eat at peoples teeth. I was not trying to offend you.

Hi J.,
I had the same Dentist for 10 yrs until I moved to N.M.
The Dentist I had was very personable and I liked him. When I moved to N.M. We saw our new dentist it had only been 6 mos. I too needed 2 crowns!! And a root thingy ma bob:)
Needless to say I was terrified. But, the pain and sensitivity that I had endured for a couple of years totally went away with having the crowns and root thingy ma bob:)
So,,, to answer your question, Your old Dentist could have been a really nice guy but, not so good at detecting your dental problems:) Take care, T.:)

Hi J.,
I have been dental assistant for 35 years and would suggest
you get a second opinion. I worked for a dentist who recently retired and was very through yet conservative - his patients haqd a tremendous trust and respect for him. On the other hand the young dentist (in his 40's) who took over the practice had a different philosophy. He placed LOTS of crowns
that my boss would have waited on....if you have no symptoms -
hot or cold, biting pressure , ect. you may be able to wait.
Many dentists do crowns as a preventive measure so nothing will happen to the tooth, however your existing filling could
last you for many months possibly several years. My heartfelt
advice is to get a 2nd opinion and wait until you have some
symptoms as long as your tooth has no active decay. If you
would like the name of a dentist in Tucson I may be able to
help - my old boss has friends who are still practicing -
let me know.

J.,

When I was a kid, attending the dentist of my parents's choosing, we switched from one we had most our lives to a new "all female" practice. I thought their office was very unprofessional, during my cleanings they would chat with each other rather than with me.

I have good teeth, but was told I had 11 cavities, my brother was told he had 17! As kids, we just did as we were told, but I won't make the same mistake for my kids. After that I didn't see the dentist again for several years, until I was old enough to pick a dentist for myself. Amazingly, I didn't have one cavity after all those years. Different dentists have differing levels of what a cavity is, some are more agressive. It just didn't fly with me. I would definitely recommend getting a second opinion!

It can definitely happen that teeth go down hill like that in some situations. But dental work is so expensive- I would absolutely get a second opinion.

Good luck!

I would get a second opinion! My husband and I tried a new dentist, and he found cavities in all of us. Once he filled them, my husband was in pain for 6 months. He went back to the dentist to fix them, but it did no good. Finally he went to another dentist who was recommended by a friend. He fixed my husband's teeth in less than 5 minutes, and no more pain!

I recently moved and met a friend who just graduated from dental school. He said that new dentists are often looking for major work to do just to be able to pay back their student loans. Scary!

I would definately get a second opinion. Ususally if you have a tooth that needs a crown they would have seen that 2 months ago in your xrays

did you ask the dr. why do you need crowns?? i would go to another dentist. Before i moved here to Az i was working in a dental office and from what i can remember patients would only need a crown if they had a root canal.. or one missing tooth they would need a bridge... or maybe the tooth is fractured... plenty of reasons..

I just had the experience of seeing a new dentist about a year ago. He told me I had 9 cavities and needed 4 crowns, at a crippling financial cost. I found this to be unlikely since I haven't had a cavity since I was 5.

I switched to another dentist who took a full set of x-rays, etc. and said there were no cavities at all! This other dentist was going to drill out practically my entire mouth without cause. My teeth are fine.

Get a second opinion. Dentists vary in their aggressiveness. I have heard similar stories.
Good luck.

Get a second opinion. It could be, though, that the retired dentist might have missed something that was happening.

David Spalding would be good for this: ###-###-####

Get a second opinion. My FIL just told me that since he has had to find a new dentist he has been told he had gum disease and all kinds of other issues. He has never had these problems before and always goes every six months. So he saw another dentist and they said he has no problems. Then he went to see a third dentist for a third opinion and he said there are no problems.

With the economy the way it is my dentist said that is the first thing people skip. They dont want check ups if money is tight. So some dentists maybe sacred to loose business and are making up issues that are not there.

I have a small cavity that she has been watching for a year now. If they progress that fast then I should have had a huge filling by now instead of her saying that she will still be keeping and eye on it.

Unless this kind of thing has happened in the past and your teeth are naturally bad. Then I would get a second opinion.

By the way my dentist is awesome. I have issues with novacane. I usually need more than most. So when she did one of my front teeth she said lets try this with out any numbing agent(cost money for novacane). I asked her if she was crazy and she asked me if I trust her. Of course I did I have know her for years. So I went with it and I didnt feel a thing, plus I was not numb for hours after. I just took a little motrin for my own peace of mind and have not had any problems with it.

Her name is Kim Pakune ###-###-####

Hi J.-
Yes, check with another dentist. Don't discuss the opinion of the other with him beforehand. Just compare notes. It can happen- I am a teeth grinder, and teeth can split and need crowns very easily inder those circumstances. If that is what is happening, a mouthguard will slow down the destructive process, Hope it helps - S.

That seems to be an extreme change - I would get a second opinion. If that dentist concurs, maybe the now retired dentist missed too much and it was high time for retirement : )
However, it could also be that they found additional cavities and that there is not enough left of the original tooth so they have to go to crowns, as additional drilling could shatter the tooth. I had a few of those.
A second opinion should settle that as well as more explanation from the new guy why he feels that crowns are the answer.

Good luck with all that!
D.

I know exactly what you mean! I was seeing a wonderful dentist, Jeffrey Fellner, until my husband's work changed dental insurance coverage and I had to go to Gentle Dental on 57th Ave/T-Bird. They were AWFUL! The office was dirty, the staff was rude, and I waited for almost an hour past my appointment time only for them to tell me that I needed 14 fillings! Yes, 14 fillings and I had just been to Dr. Fellner 6 months previous to that for a cleaning and I had no cavities at that time. I was pretty disgusted. The point of my story, is that I definitely recommend you get a second opinion. As soon as 2009 coverage kicks in, I'm switching back to my previous dentist. Dr. Fellner is very relaxed and gentle. The office is clean and they have always been good about keeping appointments on time. They also have a TV screen above each exam chair so you can watch a movie while they work on your teeth. http://arrowheadlakesdentistry.com/home.html

It is always good to get a second opinion. However, if some procedure was done wrong it could have caused more harm than good.

If you live in the Albuquerque west side area I have a dentist I like and isn't quick to fill every gap in my teeth.

Hi J.,
I am a dentist in Phoenix that recently merged practices with a retiring dentist from down the street. I have to say the quality of work that he has done has been great, but I can also tell that he is "checked out" and has not been diagnosing and treatment planning what the patients really need. He has been ready to move on for quite some time and is more into chatting than letting the patients know what they have going on in their mouths. I honestly would not be surprised to find that you do need 3 crowns. However, I would encourage you to seek a 2nd opinion if are not comfortable with the new dentist or their diagnosis. Many times the hygienist you have been seeing could help advise you, as well or you could ask if they have an intraoral camera and could show you why you need the crowns. Good luck!!
M.

Get a second opinion. I would go to Dr. Radd Lucas on Thornydale and Cortaro Farms. My experience with him is that he doesn't do things that aren't absolutely necessary.
Best of luck
Rie

You need to check with another dentist. The same thing happened to us only we needed root canals and crowns for the same teeth that nothing was wrong with old dentist.
I saw a new dentist that is really good. Taylor Kim ###-###-#### right off the 202. Good Luck!