I need to get two dental crowns. I’ve had several friends who have gotten dental crowns in the past. I didn’t have the heart to tell them, but their crowns look quite fake. In fact, they’re so opaque I don’t know how anyone could think they are real.  Is there any way I can prevent this from happening to me?

Sally B.- Georgia

Sally,

From your description, I wonder if your friends were given porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. They often have to be made more opaque in order to cover the metal foundation.  There is also another way to distinguish crowns with a metal foundation. Eventually, they will all develop a dark grey line at the gumline. And unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done about this.

The way to insure you get beautiful, natural looking crowns is to pick your dentist carefully. You want someone who’s had signifcant post-graduate training in cosmetic procedures. You’ll also want someone with an artistic eye.  Matching crowns to existing teeth takes more than just technical skill. Anyone who is serious about their cosmetic skill will have a smile gallery you can look at. That will help you determine if you like their work.

Make sure they give you all-porcelain crowns. This will prevent you from having anything that looks opaque. It will also prevent that dark line I mentioned earlier.

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