I Am 59 and Unhappy About the Color of my Recent Crowns. What Should I Do? (photo)

Once the crowns or veneers have been cemented there is not much a dentist can do about changing the color other than what your dentist tried to do for you by removing any external shading or glaze that the lab put onto the crowns or veneers.

Didn't your dentist show you the crowns in place before he cemented them?  This is routine in most cosmetic dental practices.  If you had seen the crowns and told the dentist that you wanted lighter colored teeth, he could have placed the temporary crowns back on and sent your crowns back to the ceramist to change the colors.  Now that they have been cemented your only option is for them to be drilled off and redone from start in a different color.

I have on occasion experienced patients who liked the color and accepted the color of the crowns in writing, but later on changed their minds.

My suggestion is to return to your dentist and explain to him your dissatisfaction with the color.  Maybe you too can come to an agreement as to a fee, if any, for him to replace your crowns with newer ones that are lighter in color.  If your dentist showed you the color before hand and you signed that your accepted them, your position is probably pretty weak and you might expect to pay 70-100% his normal fee.  If he never showed you the crowns on your teeth before he cemented them, your position is strong and if your dentist is gracious, he may redo your crown for nothing.  There is no standard terms for this solution, it just depends on what happened and the particular relationship your have with your dentist.

The time to change the color of crowns is BEFORE they are permanently cemented. You should have approved the color before the cementation. At this point, they would have to be removed (destroyed) and remade at someone's expense.