Getting a perfect match for a front tooth

Dr. Hall -

I have been working with a "cosmetic dentist" and lab to replace my old crown since November of 2006. 5 or 6 crowns later, I'm still not happy and am moving to NJ (Chatam area) in 3 weeks. I don't know whether to just throw in the towel and settle and just cement the latest crown I have or to request my insurance company and I get reimbursed so I can start fresh with a cosmetic dentist in NJ. I just don't know if I will be able to spend as much time on this project in NJ as I have in Miami. I want my crown to be PERFECT and I've been told that's almost impossible? What do you think? Also, I would love to share pictures with you if you would be so kind to give me your honest opinion. I appreciate your time.

—Dinah from Miami

Dinah,

I wouldn't be able to tell you without seeing your case whether or not your expectations are realistic. But I could help some by evaluating the dentist who is trying to match this crown.

You call the dentist a "cosmetic dentist." What makes you think he or she is a "cosmetic dentist?" What are their credentials?

Over 95% of dentists are technicians, not artists. They have great difficulty with color. They went into dentistry because they like to fix things, and they are focused on function. Oh, they SAY they're cosmetic dentists, because there's good business in doing that kind of dentistry. But they have very low standards for beauty, and just aren't good with color.

It can be impossible to get a "perfect" match for a front tooth porcelain crown. But, with a dentist that knows color and a laboratory that he or she knows how to communicate with, it is possible to get a "near perfect" match that no one will be able to tell is different from the other tooth.

Check our photo at the very bottom of the page of our porcelain crowns page and you'll see what I mean.

You have New Jersey cosmetic dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley in Chatham, New Jersey who is truly a cosmetic dentist/artist. Maybe your current dentist really isn't. If so, I'd let her start over with you and get a new crown.

But even with an artist, it is difficult to get a perfect match on a crown for a front tooth. I used to charge extra for a single front tooth crown, because it usually took a couple of extra visits to nail the color.

Dr. Hall
 

—Dr. Hall

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