Dr.Hall,
This might be a stupid question, but I’m going to ask it anyway. Two days ago I got porcelain crowns for my two front teeth. The color of them is noticeably more yellow than the rest of my teeth. I was in a lot of pain from sitting in the chair so I didn’t really get a long look at them before I left. But when I got out into the sun, I looked again and noticed a big difference. Now if I wanted whiter crowns, I would have to pay for them all over again right? (which I’m definitely not about to do, seeing as I already spent a fortune on them!) Or do you know if they can be whitened at all? I’m thinking that since I just got them done, that maybe he can do it over with a whiter shade….for free? Sorry if this is a stupid question, I just don’t know what to do….thanks for your time!
– Jennifer in Massachusetts
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Jennifer,
This is one of the most consistent differences between the expert cosmetic dentists that we recommend on www.mynewsmile.com and others who just call themselves cosmetic dentists. There is that passion that true cosmetic dentists have that they want to make sure the work looks perfect to you before they cement it in or bond it. The other 98% of dentists really love to fix things and don’t have much appreciation for appearance-related issues. They really don’t see the importance of making sure you have a good look at the teeth before putting them in. Part of the reason may be that they think it looks “good enough” and they’re afraid you’ll be too fussy.
You’re kind of stuck with the color, unfortunately. Nothing you can do to porcelain will lighten the color. The only option is to re-do them. Maybe your dentist will do that for free. You can always ask.
Don’t let anyone talk you into putting porcelain veneers on top of the crowns. That has the potential for looking really bad, and if it’s done right, it will cost the same as re-doing the crowns. It doesn’t make any sense at all—don’t do it.
Dr. Hall
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About David A. Hall
Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.
Hi
I just went through 6 months of getting two new zirconia (two front teeth) crowns done. My general dentist did not do a good job of matching my natural shape or look of my natural teeth and felt bad about it and sent me to this prosthodontist!
(This didn’t turn out well for Helle. I copied her story onto another blog post and answered it. You can read it here: My two crowns on my front teeth are the wrong color.