Theriot Family Dental

Two Front Crowns Do Not Match My Teeth

Posted by writeradmin

I needed to have two porcelain crowns placed. My dentist tried but could not get the shape or color to match my teeth. He suggested a specialist and was very understanding about how badly it was done. His recommendation was a prosthodontist, which he told me is a crown specialist. I felt like I was in good hands. That was why when he suggested I use dental sedation I felt comfortable with it. I do get jittery at the dentist’s office so it made sense. I feel like that was a mistake because when I was finally lucid enough to see what they looked like, which wasn’t until after I go home, they were much darker than the rest of my teeth. Though, the shape at least matched. I called the very next day and he said I approved them and I can either stick with those or go back to my old crowns. I feel like I’m left choosing between two terrible options. Is there anything I can do?

Carol

Dear Carol,

porcelain crown being placed on a tooth

The first thing which jumps out to me is the dental sedation issue. It doesn’t sound like you requested the sedation, so why did he suggest it? You absolutely cannot give consent whe you are under the influence of sedation. If for some reason you did need dental sedation, there is a way around that. He could have given you provisionals that allowed you to do a check out the results, once you were lucid, before permanent ones were bonded on. He did not do that, which makes me think that he doesn’t care what you thought of the results. Though, this became evident to you when he refused to make any changes.

There are very few prosthodontists who are good at cosmetic work, even though they tend to think they are because of the addtional training they received to get their specialization. However, that extra training is in the mechanics of dental crowns, not the appearance of them.

First, do not allow this prosthodontist to do any more work on you. Then, I’d like you to see an expert cosmetic dentist to get his opinion on how bad the crowns are. My guess is pretty bad. Having another dentist say the work is bad helps. Then request a refund and get this redone by someone who cares about appearance related dentistry. Make certain that they use temporary crowns first and then only make the permanent ones when you have had a chance to approve them.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. John Theriot.