Why Are My Crowns Gray and How Long Will It Take to Correct Them?

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I fell in January and damaged three front teeth. My dentist did root canals and crowns on all three teeth – my center front teeth and right incisor. Although my dentist is easygoing about redoing the work for me, the crowns are too thick, and the color is off. They do not match my natural teeth. The crowns look gray, and although my dentist is willing to redo them, he says that he cannot guarantee an exact match. He says he will get the core as white as possible. Am I supposed to settle for gray teeth? My anxiety level is increasing over how many more dental visits it will take to get this right. Thank you. Sheron

 

Sheron,

Unfortunately, like many family dentists, your dentist does not know enough about cosmetic dentistry and matching tooth color. It takes post-graduate cosmetic dentistry training and an artistic eye to match crowns to the characteristics and color of your natural teeth.

If Dental Crowns Are Too Thick and the Wrong Color

If your dental crowns are too thick and the color is, you should not settle for your dentist’s skill level. We encourage you to insist on getting what you agreed to—natural-looking crowns. No one should be able to tell that your front teeth are crowns.

Although you did not give us clinical details about the types of crowns your dentist placed, several factors can cause crowns to look gray.

  • Pure ceramic crowns with a metal post – A metal post and core reinforce a tooth, and the color of the metal can show through the ceramic.
  • A skilled cosmetic can provide crowns that are not gray. Either of these methods might work:
  • Fiberglass post – A fiberglass post and a composite core close to the color of your natural teeth will give your crowns natural translucence.
  • Metal core with opaque layer – An opaque layer of composite bonding can be layered over the metal core. It will block the metallic color. Afterward, the dentist can bond the crown over the opaque layer.
  • Incorporate opaquing into the crown – A skilled cosmetic dentist can instruct the ceramist about the crown color and the metal core. The ceramist can opaque the crown to conceal the metal.

Find a Dentist Who Can Reproduce Your Smile

Face of a woman relaxed during dental treatment for information on sedation dentistry from Dr. Brooksher of Baton Rouge

Sedation will help your new dentist complete as much work as possible while you relax

Unfortunately, your dentist does not have enough training to correct your crowns and is not readily going to refer you to a cosmetic dentist who can. Dental schools minimize cosmetic concerns, and many in the dental profession do the same. Although Dr. Brooksher would need to examine your teeth, it seems that your case requires only a moderate level of aesthetic skill.

We recommend that you schedule a consultation with a skilled cosmetic dentist to explain your treatment options. Hopefully, your dentist will refund you or partially compensate you for being unable to give you crowns that reproduce the look of your natural teeth.

Although you will need more dental work, sedation dentistry can help a cosmetic dentist complete as much work as possible while relaxing and giving you quality results.

 

Steven Brooksher, DDS, of Baton Rouge sponsors this post.

Can I Get Only One Porcelain Veneer Replaced?

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I received six porcelain veneers in May 2019. My dentist didn’t get the bonding quite right on one veneer, and I had a lot of sensitivity in the tooth. At first, he suggested that I use Sensodyne toothpaste, but it didn’t help much. I mentioned the sensitivity at my next dental cleaning appointment, so my dentist looked at the tooth and said that the veneer is not in its original position and the dentin is exposed. He suggested replacing the veneer (upper left center) and the right-center veneer next to it to ensure the veneers match. I’m disappointed because this dentin exposure business was my dentist’s fault. Why did the porcelain veneer move out of place? He offered to reduce the cost of replacing the two veneers, but I don’t think I should have a fee at all. And why can’t he just replace the one veneer anyway? I’m afraid that if he must remove the veneer on my right front tooth that it might become sensitive, too. Should I insist that he only replace one veneer? Thank you – Zachary from GA

 

Zachary,

You didn’t mention if your general or family dentist provided the veneers. But it seems that you saw a dentist with limited training in cosmetic dentistry who aggressively prepared your teeth.

Is It Possible to Replace One Porcelain Veneer?

Photo of the tip of dental forceps holding a single porcelain veneer; from the Baton Rouge office of accredited cosmetic dentist Dr. Steven Brooksher.

A skilled cosmetic dentist can replace a single porcelain veneer

Yes, it is possible to replace a single porcelain veneer. Any dentist with advanced cosmetic dentistry training can replace one veneer and perfectly match the color with your existing veneers. Dentists who are skilled in aesthetics use dental laboratories that keep color formulas for each patient’s case so they can perfectly match it in the future.

Dentin Exposed with Porcelain Veneers

When a dentist prepares your teeth for porcelain veneers, and the dentin is exposed, they over-prepared your teeth. When tooth preparation is necessary, skilled cosmetic dentists only remove a fraction of a millimeter of tooth enamel for several reasons:

  • Preserve as much tooth structure as possible
  • Provide better bonding—veneers adhere better to tooth enamel than dentin, which is softer.
  • Avoid exposing dentin because dentin tubules lead to the pulp and risk irritation and infection.

Insist on Replacing One Veneer?

If your dentist says he must replace veneers on both central incisors (center front teeth) to achieve a color match, he probably doesn’t know how to do otherwise. You can decide if you trust your dentist to do the work or want a second opinion. If you choose to get a second opinion on your porcelain veneers, look for a dentist with post-graduate training and experience in dental aesthetics.

You probably want to get the issue resolved quickly, so don’t delay—especially because dentin exposure is unhealthy for your teeth.

Steven Brooksher, DDS, an accredited cosmetic dentist in Baton Rouge, LA, sponsors this post.

Get details from a previous post on reasons that porcelain veneers might fall off.

I thought I was getting a smile makeover

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Although my dentist said she could use dental bonding to give me a smile makeover, it didn’t work out. She was supposed to fill in gaps and chips in my teeth. My teeth looked and felt bulky, and they caused me to pronounce some words with a whistling sound. I asked my dentist to remove the bonding, and now my teeth are discolored and blotchy. My dentist says that’s just the way my natural teeth look, but I have pictures of my smile before the bonding. And my teeth didn’t look the way they do now. I don’t trust her to do anything else with my teeth. Is the damage permanent? – Danae from MS

Danae,

Although Dr. Brooksher would need to examine your teeth, your description sounds like your general dentist doesn’t know enough about cosmetic dentistry to give you a smile makeover.

Bulky Dental Bonding

A cosmetic dentist uses dental bonding to fill in or conceal imperfections in your teeth. If you had chips and wear on your teeth, a cosmetic dentist would apply bonding to those areas and seamlessly blend in it with your natural teeth. But your dentist made your teeth so bulky that it affected your speech. It sounds like your dentist overdid it and applied bonding on the entire surface of each tooth.

Although some dentists can apply bonding to conceal a chip, it takes advanced training in aesthetics and artistic talent to create a smile makeover with dental bonding. A dentist must have the right tools and a variety of shades of composite to blend, match your teeth, and give you beautiful results.

Removing Dental Bonding

Advanced cosmetic dentists use specific tolls to remove dental bonding without damaging your tooth enamel. Three instruments a cosmetic dentist might use to remove bonding include:

  • Sandpaper disc
  • High-speed carbide drill
  • Air abrasion
Dental bonding smile makeover before and after photos from Steven Brooksher, DDS of Baton Rouge, LA

Accredited cosmetic dentist Dr. Brooksher used dental bonding for this beautiful smile makeover

But if a dentist grinds off composite without noticing where it ends and where your tooth enamel begins, it’s easy to remove the enamel mistakenly. Before treatment, trained cosmetic dentists take pictures of your teeth. And they take “after” photos so you can see how the treatment improved your smile.

Although you can show your dentist photos of your smile, she probably won’t be able to restore your teeth and give you the smile makeover you want. But the pictures will back up your claims of faulty work and a request for a refund.

Get a Dental Bonding Second Opinion

Ask friends or family members if they know an experienced cosmetic dentist. Otherwise, you can search online for a dentist with accreditation in the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry or the American Academy of Dental Esthetics. If it increases your comfort, you can schedule consultations with two cosmetic dentists to discuss your smile goals and treatment options for a successful smile makeover.

 

This post is sponsored by Steven Brooksher, DDS, a Baton Rouge dentist and accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.