Hi KCast,

If this photo was taken immediately after the initial crowns were removed and there was no trauma caused during the removal of them, then you may have reason to be upset with the dentist who did the crowns.

#1) It is obvious from the extensive and severe gum irritation that the crowns on 5 out of the 6 teeth did not fit well.

#2) The preparation of the teeth also appears to be very rough and ill prepared. Prepped teeth are suppose to look smooth and somewhat symmetrical to each other.

Cannot be sure from this photo, but it appears that there may be decay on the mesial of #8 (his right front tooth). Sometimes what looks like decay is really a darkening of the tooth from trauma or an old filling. Perhaps that is the tooth that had the root canal? If the dark spot is soft, then it is decay.

Porcelain fused to metal crowns are generally not done on front teeth because they are too bulky and do not have an esthetic appearance. These crowns USE to be done all the time but many dentists have gotten away from them and now use an all porcelain or zirconium crown. These materials are thinner, light in weight and appear very natural looking.

Was the decay very extensive on these teeth prior to doing the crowns? Was he ever given the option of doing porcelain veneers instead of crowns? If the decay was not extensive, veneers might have been an option.

What caused the crowns to break? Usually front crowns will not "break off" unless they are hit with a bottle or eating utensil or some other trauma. If they were too long, the porcelain may have chipped or the teeth would have hurt.

As for the original dentist wanting you to sign a release form rendering him not responsible ..... I would seek legal advice on that. His original xrays and any follow up xrays are imperative tools in this case, so make sure you have a legible copy of all of them.

I can tell you this, your son will need further dentistry on these teeth especially if he has had root canals as those teeth will be chronically infected and ultimately need to be removed. So replacement of them will be very costly as it would be either a long span bridge or dental implants.

This is a sad situation indeed. The issues here will be.... what condition were the teeth in when he saw the original dentist... what options were given at that time .... how/why did the crowns break..... whomever told him to have root canals did they also offer the option of removing the teeth and if so what replacement options were given... are there any other extenuating circumstances (chronic illness, lifestyle) that should be taken into consideration in this case.

As a mom, I can feel your pain with this. Before you make any decisions on signing that form, please seek legal help.

Keep us posted...
Bryanna