My new dentist recently replaced two old crowns with veneers. I had a root canal on one of the teeth years ago, and the tooth is gray. My dentist said he could do the veneers with no problem. When the veneers arrived from the lab, my dentist wasn’t happy with the color. He gave me temporaries and asked the lab to make a new set. The color looks a little better, but the shape of the crowns is different. They don’t look natural.
The tooth with the root canal is darker than the other, the crown color is still off, and the darker crown seems bulkier than the other one. My dentist said that he did the best he could. Is it too much to ask for two crowns to match in color and depth? I attached photos if you will please look at them. I think that I am ready to find a CEREC® dentist who can give me new crowns the same day. The two affected teeth are next to my right center front tooth, and I am embarrassed. Josiah from MS
Josiah,
It’s not too much to expect your crowns to match. But it takes a skilled dentist to match crowns on front. After reviewing your photos, we suggest that you find another dentist.
Did You Receive Dental Crowns or Veneers?
You included a photograph of your prepared teeth. Your new “veneers” are dental crowns. Each crown covers an entire tooth—not just the front of a tooth like a porcelain veneer. Unfortunately, we hear reports about patients who were told they are getting veneers when, in fact, they have crowns.
Concealing a Dark Tooth with a Crown
You are right about the shape and shade of your crowns. They aren’t even close. Your dentist is having difficulty concealing the grayness from your root canal tooth.
A cosmetic dentist might use either approach:
- Clean and bleach the gray tooth. Use opaque buildup material to approximately match the color of the other tooth.
- Ask a dental ceramist to use an opaque layer of porcelain for your crown to cover the gray in your tooth and add a translucent layer over it.
But some dentists are concerned enough about aesthetics to find a ceramist who produces beautiful work. Perhaps the depth of your crowns is uneven to conceal the gray in your tooth with a thicker crown.
Ask for a Refund
We suggest that you ask your dentist for a refund. You can respectfully explain your disappointment with crowns that don’t match in size or depth—not to mention that your dentist told you that he was placing veneers.
Afterward, you can find a dentist with advanced training in aesthetics or cosmetic dentistry. Although CEREC technology can replace your crowns the same day, please don’t rely on it for your case. Let a dentist’s skill in cosmetic dentistry be the priority. Trust an advanced cosmetic dentist to explain which treatment options for ceramic crowns will give you the best results.
David Finley, DDS, a Monroe, LA, accredited fellow of cosmetic dentistry, sponsors this post.