Would a Porcelain Crown Cause my Gums to Darken?

The people you observed may have crowns that are porcelain with metal, after some time if periodontal problems are present there can be gum/bone loss causing the root & or the metal to be exposed which does look dark. Now in between the teeth there may be other issues, they can have fillings that are not properly sealed which can darken over time & even natural teeth can look darkened in the presence of periodontal problems or car. In your case a full... more

If you had your root canal done 10 years ago and tooth is still in a good condition (enough sound tooth structure) you might be a good candidate for a porcelain veneer. If  you have a lot of natural tooth missing, then you woud be better off with a crown. The determination can be done after consultation with dental specialist, which I would highly reccomend. Full porcelain crowns do not create any dark lines or shadows at the gum line, do not worry about that.

A dark tooth on a front tooth is tricky.  Depending on if you have had root canal treatment or not makes a difference.  Sometimes, the darkness is from the color of the root of your tooth.  Sometimes it can be because of the metal under a old crown. Be careful-a crown or veneer can still show a dark line above the tooth.  Sometimes it is better to do walking bleach, whiten the tooth and then evaluate what you need to do next. Gum thickness can be a... more

Sometimes the black line is caused by metal used as the substructure of the crown showing from beneath the porcelain.  Sometimes the tooth itself beneath the crown is dark and expose by recession creating a dark zone. Another possibility is that the tooth is a normal color but the use of metal or other opaque materials blocks light transmission into the tooth.  This light normally bounces around in the tooth and some of it bounces back out of the tooth through the gums... more

A crown to cover a tooth that has received root canal  treatment is the tbest option.These teeth become brittle over time after the nerve has been removed and besides getting darker they can brake. Word of mouth would be the best way to find a dentist you can trust since this will require not only somebody who is aware of the esthetics demands of a crown on a front tooth but also uses a good dental laboratory to fabricate the crown The black line around the gumline is the... more

A root canal treated tooth can get darken over time due to the fact that the tooth is "dead."  With proper crown selection, the dark tooth can be hidden cosmetically.  Another possibility is the gum recession can cause the margin of the crown can show, which is the dark line you see around the tooth.  This problem can be aesthetically solved by redoing the crown and with the latest technique and material, your dentist can choose a better crown selection for... more

Sometimes the dark edge around a crown can be the dark root of the tooth under the crown.  Root canal teeth frequently turn dark and it can make the gums appear darker because they are so thin over the root of the tooth.  The dark edge around a crown can also be the material the crown was made of.  Some porcelain (white) crowns have a metal base under the porcelain which can also make the root appear darker.  We use all porcelain crowns without metal that appear... more

Cosmetic crowns are usually always made of ceramic porcelain, 100%.  Newer boding techniques provide an absolute seal between the tooth and the crown with no leaking or dark lines. They look good and feel like your own teeth.  They can last 20+ years, provided one's bite is stable.  Stabilizing the bite is probably the most important reason high quality cosmetic dentistry can last so long.

Proper material selection and ceramic design will result in natural crowns with no dark lines at the gum line or showing through the crowns. If the tooth is dark, an opaque layer must be built into the deep layers of the crown with translucent outer layers. If the root is darker, a " Contact Lens Effect" can be utilized to create an unnoticeable gradation from the brighter porcelain to the darker root. The smile you want is achievable. 

Your question is really observant.   You have no doubt talked to someone who has a crown that is dark around the area of the gums.  This is not natural looking and is a big issue for many people, but it does not have to be.  Many times the dark line is the metal under the porcelain showing through and it appears dark.  The newest crowns have no metal and so this "band" does not show, giving you an esthetic and natural appearing tooth.  Sometimes... more

Porcelain crowns are translucent allowing the color of the underlying tooth to shine through. Using a porcelain crown with a zirconia or a porcelain opaque layer will block out the darkness of the root canal. Many dentists use metal under porcelain crowns which can cause a black line, we never use these crowns in the smile zone.

Or sometimes both. If you can imagine the root of the tooth as a fiberoptic rod, a traditional "porcelain fused to metal" crown will block the light to the tooth, making the entire root dark. This can be manifested as dark gums as well. A tooth that had root canal therapy will darken over time as well with a similar result. The porcelain fused to metal (PFM) crowns often have a metal collar around them, and if the gums recede this collar becomes visible. New materials don't... more

This is a great question! We see this often. What you are refering to with regard to the darkness at the gum line can be caused by the combination of the discolored tooth reflecting through the gum or the use of a porcelain fused to metal crown. If the discolored tooth is prepared properly and the correct material is used to mask the color, you should not have the problem you are describing.