Dr. Hall,
Should front teeth, numbers 8 and 9, protrude beyond adjacent teeth touching the lip when previous teeth were not doing that? And what if the angle is more sloped? I feel like my two new ones are thicker and higher than my adjacent teeth and they angle forward more. Almost like buck teeth just not severe. The crown itself is the perfect shape, length and color.
Is this the dentist or the person who made the crown. They looked great in the mold of my teeth.
Is it safe to remove and reposition? What if it’s better for the lab to correct after being seated?
Anne
(See Dr. Hall’s answer below.)
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Anne,
Let’s take your questions one by one.
Should front teeth, numbers 8 and 9, protrude beyond the adjacent teeth?
Even when all the front teeth are being veneered or crowned it would be rare that they wouldn’t protrude forward exactly the same amount as your natural teeth. But with only two being crowned, they need to keep in line with the other teeth.
Is this the dentist or the person who made the crown. They looked great in the mold of my teeth.
The dental lab only follows the dentist’s instructions, so it’s your dentist’s fault if the alignment isn’t correct. It’s possible for the lab to make a mistake in this matter, but the dentist should then send the work back to the lab for correction.
My best guess as to why this happened to your crowns is that your dentist didn’t remove enough tooth structure on the fronts of the teeth. There is a certain amount of thickness that a ceramic crown needs, and if the tooth isn’t reduced enough, the crown can end up sticking out.
Is it safe to remove and reposition? What if it’s better for the lab to correct after being seated?
Are you telling me that the crowns haven’t been cemented yet? Uncemented, the fix is easy—they need to be send back to the lab. if not enough reduction has been done on the teeth, the dentist needs to reduce some more, take a new impression, and have new crowns made.
If they’ve been cemented, they should be ground off and new crowns made.
All dentists should have training in the proper alignment of the front teeth, but expert cosmetic dentists pay extra attention to this. Positioned correctly, your upper and lower lips will meet naturally and comfortably. Incorrect alignment can affect not only your eating but your speech. (See: bite out of alignment)
– 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.