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.
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.