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.

How long can I wait to get a root canal if I don’t feel pain?

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I’m trying to figure out when I need a root canal if I don’t feel any pain. I am job searching, and if the tooth can wait, I would prefer to postpone it. My left first molar tooth is discolored, and my dentist says that the tooth is infected. She wants to complete a root canal and cover the tooth with a crown. If the tooth does not hurt, is this really urgent? – Thank you. Marcus from OK

 

Marcus,

Thank you for your inquiry. Your dentist is right; a dark infected tooth requires treatment.

Why Is Your Tooth Turning Dark?

Diagram of abscessed tooth in need of emergency dental care and root canal treatment
A dead tooth need urgent dental care to stop the infection

Your tooth can turn dark from infection. When the tooth pulp (the living tissue inside) dies, it turns dark, and the discoloration shows through your tooth. Tooth pulp contains tissue and nerves, so you will not feel pain if the tooth is dead.

Can You Delay Root Canal Treatment?

Although you do not feel pain, your tooth infection is lingering. A dark tooth means that you have probably had the infection for some time. It can spread into your bone or your bloodstream. Although you may not feel pain, other symptoms of a long-term tooth infection include:

  • A foul taste or smell in your mouth
  • Difficulty breathing or swallowing
  • Swelling in your face or cheek
  • Tenderness or swelling under your jaw or in your neck (lymph nodes)
  • Fever
  • Gum disease
  • Dehydration
  • Stomach pain
  • Fatigue

A dead tooth is an urgent matter because the infection can poison other parts of your body.

What Can You Expect with Root Canal Treatment?

Root canal treatment is painless, but your tooth will be weak. And your dentist must protect it.

  • Painless – A skilled dentist uses a local anesthetic for painless root canal treatment. But if your tooth is dead, you will not feel any nerve pain.
  • Foul smell – A tooth that has been dead for years has a bad smell. You will probably notice it and be happy that your dentist removed the infection.
  • Protecting the tooth afterward – If you have a strict budget, you do not have to get a dental crown right away. Instead, ask your dentist to complete the root canal and protect your tooth until you can afford a crown.

After the dentist completes the treatment, you will probably feel better. You might have mild symptoms that you ignored or did not associate with your tooth.

Best wishes.

Ryan Perry, DDS of Baton Rouge, sponsors this post. For more information read our post, Does a Root Canal Tooth Always Need a Crown?

An old injury making my tooth turn dark

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When I was nine I wiped out on my skateboard and put a chip in my left front tooth. My dentist at that time did a nice job fixing it, but now all these years later that tooth is noticeably darker than the others around it. I talked to my current dentist about this, but she says that she would not be comfortable doing a crown because the tooth is dead. She did say that she wants to refer me to a friend of hers that does cosmetic dentistry, but I am a little nervous about the cost. I’ll be paying for this procedure out of pocket, and expect that a cosmetic dentist will be a lot more expensive. I’ve always been really happy with my dentist’s work, and can’t really figure out why she seems to reluctant to do this. I mentioned Lumineers, and she said that I should discuss them with the other dentist, but that she has heard of some issues with them.

Can you shed some light on why she might be dragging her feet on this?

Zachary in South Fork

Dear Zachary,

Your dentist is actually demonstrating extremely ethical behavior. Though any dentist can SAY they do cosmetic dentistry, only about 5% really have the artistic sense and training to do exceptionally beautiful work. Your dentist is telling you that this is not her area of expertise, and referring you to someone she trusts to do superior work.

Lumineers are a brand of porcelain veneers, and there have been some issues with them. The cosmetic dentist you talk to may like to work with them, though, so make sure you chose the dentist with care and let the dentist guide you towards the best solution. A porcelain crown may not be the best solution, as your current dentist suggests but again, the cosmetic dentist you consult will give you all the options and then let you decide what to do.

This blog and post are sponsored by Baton Rouge dentist Dr. Perry.