Will root canal cause black gum line?

Question

I was about to get root canal treatment on my upper lateral incisor and I was thinking of going with Zirconium Crowns as I've read many positive reviews. I know that PFM crown may cause black gum line but does having a non vital teeth after a Root Canal Treatment also cause a black gum line? My preferred choice of crown is Zirconium, please recommend if you have better options than this.

Lance Timmerman, DMD, MAGD · Answer

Most of the time a root canal treated tooth does not significantly change color, but CAN.  Zirconium crowns do a good job of masking this darkness, so I think it is a better choice than a PFM.  I usually do an eMax crown in the anterior, as it has similar strength properties but more esthetic than zirconium.  Some will do a zirconium core and a porcelain or emax overlay, but this can lead to breaking of the porcelain at the interface of the core and porcelain.  A monolithic eMax would be my first choice.

Parnaz Aurasteh, DDS · Answer

Black lines at the gum line are common due to darkening of the tooth after having an root canal treatment. However, with the proper restoration, i.e. a Zirconium crown, there is a high likelihood that we can mask the black line. You definitely want to avoid a PFM if black lines are of concern to you. Good luck!

Thomas Roberts, DDS (retired) · Answer

Typically a root canal treatment does not cause a tooth to darken.  A tooth can darken, however, if it has abscessed though even this is rare.  While Zirconium is a very strong crown, I believe most people are using Emax for their anterior crowns.  It is also very strong but, at least with my experience, is a better looking crown.  Good luck to you!

Will root canal cause black gum line?

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Will root canal cause black gum line?

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