I had a dental implant placed for a missing front tooth. So far, my dentist has placed the crown for it three different times none of which matched the teeth next to it. She’s now completely fed up with me and said I’m being unreasonable. Apparently, the shade of my teeth is between two colors. I don’t understand this because the dental flipper I wore while waiting on the implant to heal matched fine. She told me if I keep having her re-do it I risk losing the implant. Am I being too picky?
Olivia
Dear Olivia,
No, you are not being too picky, especially if you were happy with the dental flipper while waiting on the crown for your dental implant. To me, it sounds like your dentist is turning her frustration with her inability to match a single crown onto you. But, the problem is hers. As for your teeth being between two shades, I think I know what is going on in her thinking.
For years, dentists have used a shade guide for teeth. A dentist could pretty much come close to any shade. For back teeth, it doesn’t have to be an exact match. However, with front teeth there does have to be an exact match. This is because the light hits it so much more directly and all the little differences are visible. Dentists can’t just pick a shade for the porcelain crown and be done with it. They also have to provide special instructions to the lab.
This color map to the left will give you some idea of what a detnist will do to get the crown to match perfectly. A skilled cosmetic dentist understands color theory and knows how to add different tints to adjust the appearance of the crown. Even with that knowledge, a cosmetic dentist will do several try-ins before getting it perfect.
They will use a temporary try-in paste to get a good look at the crown in several lights and see what adjustments need to be made. It doesn’t sound like your dentist did that. This is an error on her part. She just bonded it on without checking things.
Here is my recommendation. If you’ve already paid for the crown, ask for a refund on that and tell her you’re going to do that part with another dentist. She’s already provided a sturdy dental implant so that payment should stay. Then, find an AACD accredited dentist to do the crown portion. They will understand how to do it properly.
This blog is brought to you by Des Moines Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Phelan Thomas.