Posted by writeradmin
I am having a hard time getting my dentist to match my dental implant crown to match the rest of my teeth. I’ve had him re-do it twice already and he said if he has to re-do it again I risk losing the dental implant, which I definitely don’t want to do. He feels I am being too picky and should be grateful I have a tooth. But, I don’t understand how the dental flipper could match and not the implant crown. He says it is because my tooth color is between two standard colors. But, wouldn’t that have been true with the flipper or am I really being too picky?
Janet
Dear Janet,
I’m not sure what tooth you are dealing with, but it sounds like your dental implant may actually be a front tooth. These teeth are the hardest to match and often take two to three try-ins before a dentist can get it right.
If you were happy with the dental flipper, I would not consider you picky in the least. In fact, there is nothing wrong with you wanting your teeth to match. That seems like a pretty basic thing to require.
Generally, a dentist will use a temporary try-in paste until the crown matches just the way you want it to. It sounds like your dentist is just doing the bond without taking that step. Even so, it will not hurt your dental implant to remove the crown and have it done again, as long as he properly placed the implant.
All of that being said, it may be that this dentist is in over his head when it comes to matching a front tooth. He’s just going by the basic shades, which are fine for back teeth. Front teeth, are more exposed to the light and we see all the subtle differences in opacity and texture. Dentists who are skilled in cosmetic dentistry will provide a shade map for the lab that makes your crowns providing instructions on different tints to use and where to place them, such as you can see in the image to the left.
My recommendation, based on the attitude and skill of this dentist is that you just pay for the implant and get your porcelain crown done somewhere else. I don’t think he is going to be able to match it. If you’ve already paid for the crown, ask for a refund. He may ask for another chance. If so, it is up to you, but make sure he agrees to using a temporary try-in paste and he will make as many changes as needed to get it to match your adjacent teeth.
One other thing to be aware of in case your dentist didn’t warn you. Once the color is made on the crown, it’s permanent. If you have any plans to whiten your teeth, do it before you have the permanent crown made. That way it can match the whiter color. Otherwise, if you whiten later, you will have to start all over on the crown and replace it.
This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. John Theriot.