Baton Rouge Dentist

A New Zirconia Crown Didn’t Lighten My Dark Gray Tooth

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I got a new zirconia crown on a root canal tooth that darkened so much it looked gray. I know that I received a quality crown, but the dark tooth makes the crown look gray. It detracts from my smile. The dentist added something inside the crown to prevent it from appearing dark gray, but the improvement was minimal. Should the dentist have offered another solution to brighten the tooth or crown? – Thanks. Todd from NJ

 

Todd,

While zirconia is known for its strength in crowns, it doesn’t offer the best aesthetics. For optimal cosmetic results, a zirconia crown usually benefits from a layered porcelain application. Your main concern, however, appears to be how to use a dental crown to mask the underlying dark tooth structure. This process demands close cooperation between your dentist and the ceramist creating the crown. Both the dentist and ceramist should be well-versed in addressing aesthetic challenges.

How to Produce an Aesthetically Pleasing Zirconia Crown

The dentist must accurately convey the shade of the underlying tooth, including photographs, to the ceramist. Some dentists prefer to apply an opaquer directly to the tooth prep before sending it to the lab, while others leave opaquing to the ceramist.

Ten dental crowns for various tooth positions on black glass
Dental crowns should not loosen repeatedly

Top-tier cosmetic dentists prioritize forging relationships with skilled dental ceramists. This underscores the importance of collaboration between the dentist and the ceramist in creating beautiful cosmetic dentistry.

A frequent mistake in less experienced hands is over-opaquing, which results in a flat, artificial-looking white tooth. To avoid this, a ceramist must place the opaque layer deep within the crown, allowing for subsequent layers of porcelain to be built upon it. The aim is to leverage the full thickness of the crown to achieve realistic depth and translucency.

Your dentist’s recommendation of a porcelain veneer for your other front tooth is excellent because it’s a far less invasive choice than a crown. Nevertheless, achieving a seamless color match between a porcelain veneer and a crown presents another significant challenge. This task requires a dentist and ceramist with superior training and expertise in color matching and manipulation.

Baton Rouge family dentist Dr. Ryan Perry sponsors this post. Please read about how he strives to provide his patients with the best care possible.

Will I Need to Replace a Porcelain Veneer with a Crown?

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Will I need to replace a porcelain veneer with a crown if I have a cavity? My upper left lateral incisor has a cavity, so my dentist wants to replace the porcelain veneer with a crown. He said that since the tooth has a cavity, a crown will provide better protection. – Thanks. Kenji from CA

Kenji,

Achieving a precise match between a new crown and existing porcelain veneers is exceptionally difficult. Only a small percentage of dentists (around 2%) possess the specialized skill set required for such an outcome. We’ve seen numerous cases where patients were dissatisfied with their dentists’ attempts to match a crown to their porcelain veneers.

Does a Cavity Require Replacing a Porcelain Veneer with a Crown?

You didn’t specify the cavity’s size, but dentists usually use crowns on exceptionally large cavities. A porcelain veneer is a minimally invasive treatment that requires only a small amount of enamel to be removed from the front of the tooth. In contrast, a crown on a front tooth is a highly aggressive procedure, as it involves grinding down the tooth to a small stub. A crown would only be justified if a significant portion of the tooth has decayed.

Your dentist may be more comfortable with crowns than with porcelain veneers, which could influence his recommendation. It’s also possible the cavity is located at the edge of your porcelain veneer—a vulnerable spot for decay—and your dentist may lack the specialized training or equipment necessary to properly bond a composite filling to the veneer for long-lasting results.

If a family dentist handles your routine care for porcelain veneers, we advise seeking a dentist with extensive postgraduate training in cosmetic dentistry.

How Can You Reduce the Risks of Getting a Cavity in a Porcelain Veneer Tooth?

picture of a porcelain veneer being placed on a prepared tooth
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You can reduce the risk of getting a cavity in a porcelain veneer tooth by limiting how often you snack. Snacking introduces your teeth to bacteria, which promotes decay. Porcelain veneers are more susceptible to decay at the margin where the porcelain and tooth meet. Floss daily.

Baton Rouge family dentist Dr. Ryan Perry sponsors this post. Please read about how he strives to provide his patients with the best care possible.

 

Why Do My Dental Crowns Keep Loosening?

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I got three new crowns last November. Since then, my dentist re-cemented one crown twice and another crown three times. Both crowns are loose again. The last time my dentist re-cemented the crowns, she said that I could get the crowns replaced with dental implants. Surely, I don’t need my teeth replaced with dental implants just because my dentist can’t keep the crowns on. Is there another method or material I can suggest to my dentist? – Kenneth from Tempe, AZ

Kenneth,

We understand your frustration. However, you shouldn’t suggest anything to your dentist after he multiple attempts to re-cement your crowns. We recommend getting a second opinion from a skilled cosmetic dentist.

Why Do Dental Crowns Loosen?

Ten dental crowns for various tooth positions on black glass
Dental crowns should not loosen repeatedly

A dental crown may fall off due to the tooth’s shape beneath it. If a dentist tapers or grinds away too much tooth structure, it is challenging for a tooth to retain the crown. You may need new crowns, which may also require a dentist to build up the teeth, depending on how aggressively your dentist tapered them.

Despite advanced bonding agents, a dental crown is susceptible to falling off if a dentist over-tapers a tooth.

Don’t accept crowns that repeatedly fall off. Ask your dentist for a refund. You can report your experience to your dental insurance company or the state dental board if your dentist hesitates to refund you for faulty crowns.

Schedule a consultation with a skilled cosmetic dentist.

Baton Rouge family dentist Dr. Ryan Perry sponsors this post. Please read about how he strives to provide his patients with the best care possible.

Can a Dentist Repair My Chipped Crowns?

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Can a dentist repair my chipped crowns? I fell outdoors during a home repair last week. I chipped two of my three dental crowns that I got in 2021. It’s only been three years, and I dread the cost of getting new crowns. I invested in quality crowns, but if I need new ones, I cannot afford the same quality. Can a dentist repair them? I had an appointment with a dentist who said the repair wasn’t worth it. He wants to replace the crowns all three crowns to ensure they match. Why would I need a new crown to replace the one that is not chipped? Thanks. Joel from SC

 

Joel,

The dentist you saw probably lacks skill in concealing the chips in your crowns with composite. Also, if the dentist recommends three new crowns when only two are chipped, he may not be confident about matching two new crowns to the third, undamaged one.

Can a Dentist Repair a Chipped Crown?

A skilled cosmetic dentist can examine your crowns and determine if bonding can correct them.

A skilled cosmetic may use this technique to restore your crowns if they are repairable:

  • Use a sandblaster or hydrofluoric acid to etch the broken edges of the ceramic crowns
  • Treat the ceramic with a silane coupling agent
  • Select composite to match the color and luster of the porcelain, blend it, and bond it to the crowns

Look for two cosmetic dentists in your area who have post-graduate training in cosmetic dentistry. You can schedule consultations with each dentist to examine your crowns and explain your options for concealing the chips.

 

Baton Rouge family dentist Dr. Ryan Perry sponsors this post. Read how he strives to provide some of the best dentistry in Baton Rouge.

Can I Switch Dentists in the Middle of Getting a New Crown?

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I have a temporary crown on my bottom right second molar. I’ve had problems with the temporary crown and am concerned that the permanent one won’t be much different. I’m scheduled to get the final crown in the first week of April. However, the temporary crown fell off two days after I got it. My dentist placed it back, but it fell off that evening, and I had to return the next day. My dentist made a new temporary crown, but a piece fell off over the weekend, so I returned for another one the following Tuesday. My dentist took a new impression of my tooth at the dental lab’s request. I’m nervous about the final crown and wondering if I should cancel it. – Thank you. Alejandro from Houston

Alejandro,

We are concerned about a dentist who could not properly take your impressions or bond a temporary crown. Also, the new temporary crown broke. The history of your temporary crown suggests that you will also have problems with your final crown.

Why Does a Temporary Crown Fall Off?

The bottom of a hollow dental crown with a dental stick holding it
A skilled cosmetic dentist can provide a crown that fits and functions well.

A temporary crown may fall off if a dentist tapers the circumference of your tooth aggressively or shortens it too much. In either case, it would be challenging for the tooth to retain the temporary crown. We are concerned that your dentist overprepared your tooth. Although a temporary crown is removable and replaced with the final crown, it should not repeatedly fall off.

The dental lab requests a new impression, which further increases our concerns. However, it is not unusual for a dentist to need another impression if the first gets contaminated with fluids that seep around a tooth. In that case, a dentist would catch the mistake when examining the impression and retake it. The combination of your dentist’s mistakes is concerning.

Can You Switch Dentists in the Middle of Getting a New Crown?

You can switch dentists while getting a new crown, especially when there are multiple problems with getting your temporary crown right. Your dentist agreed to give you a crown that fits and functions well. Since your dentist has not proven that he can give you a functional crown, he has an ethical obligation to assist with your transfer to another dentist for your final crown and refund you for the payments you’ve made.

A dental crown that dislodges unexpectedly can aspirate into your lungs, or you could swallow it. Why risk the inconvenience when you have warning signs with a temporary crown that won’t stay on?

Schedule a second opinion with a dentist with advanced cosmetic dentistry training and experience.

Dr. Ryan Perry, a five-star dentist in Baton Rouge, sponsors this post. Read why so many patients think he is the best dentist in Baton Rouge.

Is a partial crown or a full crown better for a cracked tooth?

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When I was eating popcorn the other night, I cracked one of my back teeth on the bottom. I can see the crack when I look at the tooth in the mirror. Because I don’t have a lot of money,  I have been trying to research how to fix it the cheapest way and have found information about crowns and partial crowns to fix it. Can you tell me which is going to be best for me?

Thanks,
Rhett, West Virginia

Dear Rhett,

This is difficult to answer without seeing your tooth. There are different types of cracked teeth, some of which are hardly noticeable and some that warrant a trip to the emergency dentist. You may have cracked just the enamel on the surface, or the crack may go down into the middle part of the tooth that houses the pulp. The crack may go just across one corner or may go all the way across the tooth. The point of treating a cracked tooth is to prevent it from fracturing or getting further damaged, and also preventing infection.

How to fix a cracked tooth?

Because of the risk of additionally damaging the tooth, a full crown is typically the treatment preferred by dentists. This a more long-term approach to protecting the tooth because it completely covers the tooth.

A partial crown, or onlay, is an option only for certain types of cracks in a tooth. Onlays cover the surface of the tooth used for chewing, not the whole tooth. For minor cracks, an onlay may work if it is made of a good material. A gold onlay is the most durable for any crack in the surface of the tooth. Porcelain or other composite materials may not hold up against the rigorous chewing done with those back teeth. Some dentists don’t recommend onlays simply because they are not comfortable placing them.

Visit your dentist and find out the severity of your cracked tooth and if an onlay is an option for protecting it. Your dentist may be able to work with you on an affordable treatment plan if a crown is what is recommended for you.

This post is sponsored by Dr. Ryan Perry in Baton Rouge, LA.

 

 

 

Will it ruin a new crown to grind down a high spot?

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I recently had a root canal and got a crown on a molar on the bottom and now my bite is off. It doesn’t feel like it used to. My teeth don’t fit together the same when I bite or clench my jaw. I think it needs to be ground down or something, but my dentist thinks I’ll get used to it and I just have to give it time. Will it ruin my crown if the dentist grinds it down? Is that why my dentist doesn’t want to fix it?

Kay, Denver, Colorado

Dear Kay,

That’s too bad that your dentist is asking you to be patient instead of trying to adjust your dental crown. Unfortunately, when dentists do that, it is often a sign that they aren’t comfortable or knowledgeable about the correction.

The way your upper and lower teeth meet when you chew, and how your teeth function together, is called occlusion. When you get a crown, the shape of the crown is similar to, but most likely not exactly like, the contour of the original tooth, and the occlusion may be different. Over time, you may get used to your new bite, but in some instances, when the bite is off, it can cause unusual stress on the teeth. This stress can lead to bone loss or contribute to TMJ disorders.

When a new crown feels off, most dentists will simply fix it so it isn’t so high. There is a special “registration paper” that the dentist would ask you to tap and bite your teeth together on. When there is a part of the tooth that hits before the rest of the tooth, the dentist will grind the tooth in that spot to fix it. It doesn’t hurt the crown to grind down small spots that may be causing discomfort. This is a common practice with crowns.

You have a couple of options. You can wait as suggested and see if your bite adjusts if you have had a good experience otherwise with your dentist. If you do go back and ask again to adjust the crown and he is hesitant, don’t push it. It may end up worse than leaving the crown as it is.

If you don’t have any ties that bind with this dentist, it may not hurt to get a second opinion.

This post is sponsored by Dr. Ryan Perry in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Do I Need Crowns or Veneers on My Front Teeth?

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My top two front teeth were ground down for crowns but there is no crowns on the teeth. Can veneers work on my teeth now?
– Tim from Louisiana

Tim,
When a tooth has been prepared for a crown, the only restoration that works for the tooth is a crown.

The difference between a crown and a porcelain veneer is the veneer covers the front of the tooth and not the back. A crown covers the entire tooth but there are some slight exceptions as veneers can also include the sides of the tooth. Some dentists charge the same fee for a veneer as for a crown.

Whenever a lot of tooth structure is removed, that is considered to be aggressive dentistry. It seems better when the dentist removes the least possible tooth structure so it’s minimally invasive and still accomplishes the desired result. Excellent cosmetic dentists will be conservative when they work on teeth.

A crown strengthens a back tooth against tooth fracture in almost every situation in which it is used. With front teeth, they are more subject to horizontal stresses and a crown can weaken an otherwise healthy tooth, making it more susceptible to lateral shearing forces. This is why it’s important to be as conservative as possible in treatments to front teeth. A porcelain veneer that’s well-placed and conservative won’t weaken a tooth.

In your case, you will need to have crowns placed for your two front teeth as they have been ground down for crowns. Had they been minimally prepared, you could have had veneers.

This blog brought to you by Dr. Ryan P. Perry of Baton Rouge Family Dentistry

How Should My Dental Crowns Come Together?

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I’m 53 years old, and had six crowns placed a few years ago. Two weeks ago, I had a new dentist fit a porcelain and gold crown to my upper rear right adjacent molars. These are the permanent crowns and aren’t temporaries. These new crowns are at least one mm or more away from touching the opposing lower teeth (these are crowned). I discovered that crowns should slightly touch opposing teeth. I need to have another crown placed on the other side of my mouth and need to know if my dentist made a mistake.
– Doug from Louisiana

Doug,

You’re correct that dental crowns should touch their opposing teeth. If they are created properly, there are other important considerations. It’s important where the crowns touch and this is also called “occlusion.”

Proper jaw function depends on how your upper and lower teeth meet. When your jaw is aligned properly, you should be able to clench your jaw together and have your teeth meet at the same time. You should also be able to grind your teeth to the side and have only your canine teeth touch. This is important because these teeth have sturdy, long roots that help with sideway stress.

Another consideration is called “group function.” This is when all the posterior teeth have the same slope and when you grind your teeth to the side, they all touch evenly.

You have probably had the bite strip procedure done at the dentist. This is where the bite is checked with a thin strip of plastic between your teeth. No matter where it’s placed on your back teeth, you should be able to clench your teeth together and keep the strip from being pulled from your teeth.

If you have back teeth that don’t come together all the way, this may cause a problem because over time, they may drift together and then touch. While this may seem to work, there’s a strong chance they won’t touch correctly and will eventually throw your bite out of alignment. When this happens, you may suffer from TMJ disorder and this has to be dealt with right away as it can lead to other serious issues.

This blog sponsored by Baton Rouge Family Dentist, Dr. Ryan P. Perry