This problem goes wya back.  I had a dentist I loved, but she stopped taking
my insurance, so I went back to a practice I had formerly used.  They
assigned me a dentist, but I didn't like him.  Among other things, he had a
full conversation with the assistant while working on my teeth - and the
conversation was about a former dentist at the practice that was suing them.

So I got another dentist within the practice.  I really liked her manner,
although everything with her seemed to take a long time and there always
seemed to be a problem with the "ropes" they use around a crown or with pain
after a filling.  

In Fall 2004, she put in a porcelain crown on a back tooth.  In December of
that year it fell out.  They replaced it at no charge with a gold crown.  

Fall 2005, I started having problems in that same area - it felt weird,
tasted strange, and generally did not feel right.  Because we were evacuated
from Katrina, I didn't get around to seeing a dentist until we got back in
January.  The practice had flooded but I went to another location.  My
dentist had relocated, so I saw a new one.  

He said that the problem was from an old crown, that I had gotten about 10
years ago.  He said that there was a tiny area that was letting things get in
and causing decay, so he replaced it.  Then he did a full set of x-rays.  He
said I might now have problems with the gold one - that there was a similar
area where it meets that wasn't quite flush that could cause the same type of
problem.  He said that it's very hard to get the crown to be completely exact,
although he said for his crowns he checks and double checks and is confident
of their accuracy.  I didn't have to deal with it now, but to be aware that
it could be a problem.

I was not happy with this and asked about my records.  They said that the
records at the old location were destroyed but they might have some on a
CDRom that had been saved, and to check on my next visit.  I tried to make an
appointment but the receptionist had a question for the dentist and told me
to call the next day.

Of course, the next day there was a death in the family and I had to
immediately go out of town.  When I got back, I couldn't reach the woman I
had spoken to before.  I tried to make an appointment with the person I was
speaking to, but first she said the dentist I had seen was on leave of
absence (which he had not mentioned)  She also couldn't find my file and then
disconnected me.  I was ticked and gave up, figuring I'd find a new dentist.

Except, now I'm getting that same weird feeling again - like something is
getting in there.  I have that same bad taste.  So, I could go to a new
dentist and pay for a new crown all over again.  Or I could go back to this
dentist and fight to get it replaced.  Except, I'm expecting they'll claim
they can't find my file so I can't prove I had the work done (I also flooded).
I almost wonder if the dentist's leave of absence has to do with what he told
me.  

Any ideas????