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My Root Canal Tooth is Crowned with All Porcelain and Shows Through Dark, Dentist Suggest Porcelain Fused to White Metal?

My two front teeth have root canals and both got crowned with all porcelain at seperate times, but one crown shows through dark grey from the dark root i think, dentist suggested a new crown which is porcelain fused to white metal. Will that type of crown show through as a dark line at my gum and block out the grey colour?

Doctor Answers 5

June 4th, 2012

You have Several Options.

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With the more aesthetic qualities of other crowns these days, porcelain fused to metal is not the best choice.  I would go with Lava and probably mask the dark color of the natural tooth root.

June 1st, 2012

Dark root under crown showing through

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I would stay away from a porcelain fused to metal crown as you may have issues with some of the metal showing at the gumline.  I would look at a  zirconium crown and get another opinion

Leonard Tau, DMD

Leonard Tau, DMD
Philadelphia Dentist
5.0 out of 5 stars 3 reviews

June 1st, 2012

What to do about Porcelain Crown on Front Tooth that had Root Canal and looks Dark

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Remember, one of the most difficult tasks in cosmetic dentistry is to match a single front tooth cap to the adjacent one. That being said, there are other alternatives to porcelain fused to metal. You might be OK with a Zirconium Crown which is usually opaque enough to block out the dark underlying tooth. It can have porcelain fused to the front of it to try to match the porcelain of the adjacent tooth, but don't expect it to match perfectly under close scrutiny.

Jay Neuhaus, DDS
New York Dentist

June 1st, 2012

Dark Root Canal Tooth Shows Through All Porcelain Crown, What Type of Crown Next?

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Root canal teeth that turn dark are always an issue. We have more options for types of crowns than ever before.

This sort of issue will be routine for a great cosmetic dentist. Many dentists do front teeth crowns, but a cosmetic dentist will help make sure you get the results you will really be happy with.

At this point, we have other more aesthetic options than the porcelain fused to white metal. We have a few different types of newer ceramics that will block out ALL of the darkness, but still make your front teeth look alive. A crown type like Lava is one of the state of the art ceramics for situations like this. The inner part of the crown will completely block out the dark tooth, while the outer layer of porcelain can be made to match the neighboring teeth.

There is no reason why you shouldn't expect a very nice result when done by an excellent cosmetic dentist.

 

Learn more: http://www.scottgreenhalghdds.com/dental-crowns.html

Scott Greenhalgh, DDS
June 3rd, 2012

Dark tooth showing through Porcelain Crown

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The other Dentists have given you solid advice. I might only add that the dark tooth can be masked and made to look very natural in the hands of a high competent Dentist / Ceramist Team if all are patient and motivated to get it right

Mickey Bernstein, DDS
Memphis Dentist

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.