Why Don't my Crowns Look Like my Original Teeth?

Question

I have had all six of my front teeth on the top crowned. The dentist took impressions so I expected my smile to look the same as it did before, but it looks completely different. Why take impressions if you aren't going to make the teeth match the impressions? It looks like they gave me someone else's teeth.

Mauricio C. Tijerino, DMD · Answer

why did you have this work done? Were the teeth broken down or highly filled? or was it to improve your smile? If you are complaining that the crowns don't look like your teeth looked before, then I assume it was not to improve the looks.

	Crowns are individually made by a technician following the dentist's instructions and so will not be exactly the same but can be very very similar to your teeth.  To achieve this, good close up  photos of your teeth with the shade tabs should have been taken prior to preparing the teeth. Also, an impression of your teeth should have been taken prior to preparing them.

	The final impression taken after the teeth are prepared is to make the crowns on, but it does not give the technician the original size and shape of your teeth. Many dentists just take a final impressions and tell the lab to "make crowns" and a color. So it is up to the lab to make up what they think the crowns should look like. This may be what happened since they look so different.

	If you can get a hold of a mold of your teeth and good pictures of you smile before, the crowns can be re-done to be more like you old teeth.

	good luck

	Dr. T

Michael Ayzin, DDS · Answer

Thanks for your question. Sounds like somebody did not listen. Make sure to let your dentist know that you are not happy.In our office we would never deliver something patient is not happy with. Before actual cementation of front crowns or veneers, we ALWAYS ask for patient's approval. Only when patient is happy, we deliver!

Pamela Marzban, DDS · Answer

For aesthetics cases is very important to consult with the patient the smile design they will like to have . By taking photos and impressions a master laboratory tec. can create a wax up that will show how your teeth are going to look like before touching your teeth. Patients then will make any adjustments with the doctor until is happy. The temporaries can have the new design selected and it will give you a chance to evaluate your smile before porcelain restorations are made. Best advice is to talk to you dentist and discuss your concerns, good luck!

Brian Dorfman, MD, DMD · Answer

Dr Neuhaus has given you the perfect answer below. That is the proper process in fabrication of multiple dental crowns in the esthetic zone. If this was not performed this is the reason for your question. Be very mindful on your choice of dentist. Be very weary of corporate dental "mills" or dentists without proper training in esthetic dentistry. Let the dentist know you are unhappy with the outcome and see if he/she will work with you. Any reputable dentist that has gone through the measures that Dr . Neuhaus has discussed below and you are still not happy with the results will try to make it right

Jay Neuhaus, DDS · Answer

Most people that have all their front teeth crowned do so because they are unhappy with the way the front teeth look. A well-trained cosmetic dentist will discuss with their patient, in advance, exactly what the patient expects. He will then have a wax-up made in the shape of the final restorations, and make temporary crowns so that you have a preview of what the permanents will look like. You also get a chance to function with the new temporaries. Only then, after both you and the dentist are satisfied, should the permanents be manufactured.

Brad Lockhart, DDS · Answer

If you wanted your crowns to look like your original teeth then your dentist should have known that BEFORE he/she ever started any treatment. When doing cosmetic treatment and good cosmetic dentist will spend lots of time and ask lots of questions to discover exactly what your goals and expectations are. He/she will then take lots of pictures and make models of your teeth. The shade, shape, size and alignment of the crowns should be well-understood by both the dentist and the patient before any treatment begins. 

	Make sure your dentist understands that you are not happy. I would NEVER cement crowns or veneers before my patient told me they are very happy with the way they look. 

	Good luck!

Olga Kharevich, DMD, PhD (in memoriam) · Answer

In the situations of high demand aesthetic cases the very important step is diagnostics. Usually in the hands of experienced cosmetic dentist the wax-up of the future crowns is done and later discussed with the patient in the details. Nobody can just "jump" into the final crowns, temporary crowns should be done and the shape of the final crowns should be completely worked out before the impressions are sent to the lab. And when the crowns come back from the lab they have to be tried to satisfy the patient before they`re permanently cemented. This is the approach in the specialist office. You definitely need to address this issue with your doctor to get a good pleasing result.

Why Don't my Crowns Look Like my Original Teeth?

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