Best crown for a RCT front tooth?

Question

I recently had a root canal on my front tooth because it was knocked out. My dentist told me it will likely darken over time and said she would use a zirconia crown since it will block out the darkened tooth. I've read they're very opaque and not ideal for front teeth. Is this standard for a front tooth with a root canal? Or can a porcelain crown cover a tooth well even IF it does darken? I hate to question the skills of the dentist and lab but I've read porcelain is commonly used for front teeth.

Kourosh Maddahi, DDS · Answer

Hi:Your dentist is correct in being concern about the darkening color of the tooth showing through.  You can get layered zirconium crown which are more aesthetic.  Also emax done properly with the opaque cement should work.Best,Dr. Maddahi

Joseph H. Hidalgo, DDS · Answer

You have a great question. All-Porcelain crowns in my opinion are the best esthetic choice for front teeth. I particularly like the Emax crowns as they are very lifelike. However, if your tooth darkens over the years from the root canal it can alter the shade and make it darker. Another choice is a zirconia crown with porcelain layered over it. This would virtually eliminate the risk of darkening if your underlying tooth darkens over time. I would also suggest a custom shade by your dentist's lab technician as this will give you the best chance of totally matching the shade of your other teeth. You are correct that full zirconia crowns are more opaque than other all porcelain crowns. However, if you do Lava crown which is the zirconia core to porcelain crown it should meet your goals. Hope this helps.

Best crown for a RCT front tooth?

Answers (2)