Been to the dentist and they have done a temporary filling for now but said I’d either need the tooth extracted (£55), or a crown fitting (£270).

Said there was a 50/50 chance of the crown working, due to the state of the tooth. Even then there is the chance it will need redoing every 3-5 years.

Tooth is the second premolar, so it’s not completely invisible when I smile, but it’s not obvious if it wasn’t there.

So I don’t know whether to have it removed and be done with it, or go for the 50/50 crown and resultant cost.

What are people’s thoughts on it?

Get it done. Keep the tooth for as long as you can. There are lots of cool side effects effects from missing teeth that they don’t tell you about. Receding gums, neighbouring teeth moving around, bone loss etc. etc.

For reference, I have two molars missing and a crown.

Have it crowned

Get it crowned.

Get it crowned. One day you might want implants which might be impossible if you remove the tooth.

I has a temporary filling that lasted 7 years – blue it was

I had a molar removed several years ago, I’m currently having treatment to have an implant fitted to prevent any further movement of the teeth around and above it, and to let me use the whole of my mouth for chewing again. I laugh at your £270! Get it crowned.

I went for the removal option following a pork scratching incident as I was young and very skint. Regret it now though! Get the Crown.

I had a molar removed several years ago, I’m currently having treatment to have an implant fitted to prevent any further movement of the teeth around and above it, and to let me use the whole of my mouth for chewing again. I laugh at your £270! Get it crowned.

I’m trying to have two implants fitted after being hit with a hockey ball ten years ago. If I could pay £270 to get it sorted I would snatch the chance

Thanks for the input.

The unanimous support for keeping the tooth, plus sticking a bit of black tape to the tooth and not really liking the effect, have made the decision. Will keep the tooth.

If the crown fails, then at least I’ve tried…

sticking a bit of black tape to the tooth and not really liking the effect,

Genius. Must remember that.

I’m currently having root treatment on a tooth, and will have a crown added later. My dentist hasn’t yet given me a price for a crown, but he usually passes on the lab charge for the number of teeth which need to be made (I have a monthly payment plan which covers all the dentist’s work).

I had a bridge replaced a few years ago, and I think it was the cost of 3 or 4 ‘teeth’, and it was maybe £400-£600. It seems like a lot of money when given a choice between that or a free tooth extraction, but I think it’s worth trying to afford the crown if possible.

My dentist assures me that even though there’s not much, if anything, left of my tooth, he’ll be able to build it up for the crown, and he hasn’t mentioned any risk of the work failing in the future.

If the crown fails, then at least I’ve tried…

Good decision. I made the mistake of waiting too long and having to have an implant instead. Not cheap 🙁