Crown is discolored, is there anything that can be done to fix it?

Question

Today my dentist placed a crown in my tooth # 19, when I got home I noticed that the bottom of my crown has a black underline all around, and the color of the outside part of the crown is white and yellow, it looks sick and very ugly. I am pregnant in my 24 weeks and I am feeling very sensitive, I can't stop crying because I am not satisfied, every time I take a look of my tooth it makes me feel miserable. Is there anything that it can be done to fix this?

Kourosh Maddahi, DDS · Answer

Hi:I am sorry about how the crown is making you feel.  My suggestion is to let the dentist know about your concern right away.  At this time, you can not do anything about it until you are done with your preganany.  If the blackline continues to be there and the color of the crown is not satisfactory unfortunately the crown has to be replaced.Best,Dr. Maddahi

Joseph B. Silberman, DMD, FAGD · Answer

The dark band you're seeing at the gumline is usually due to the kind of crown you have. There is metal (usually a gold alloy) that actually fits to your tooth which is covered by porcelain. The metal creates a darkness at the gum since it doesn't allow light to pass through the tooth. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, your tooth may be just fine but sometimes esthetically it's not great. The good news is because of the location of your tooth, it's typically not visible. In terms of the white and yellow, that's probably the way the laboratory shaded the crown. The only way to fix both of these issues  is to make a new crown that is all porcelain. To be quite honest, I would wait to do anything. The health of your child is most important at this point. You can always change the crown down the road and as long as it feels comfortable I would hold off on any more treatment. I hope this helps!

Vicki Borowski, DDS · Answer

i'm sorry that you are having this experience. The only way to alter the crown is to remove it and have a new one made. I suggest talking to your dentist about your concerns.

Zev Kaufman, DDS · Answer

Dear yamilkamontero:

I'm so sorry to hear that you are upset.  But this should not be a problem.  Please call your dentist and read him the words you have posted on this site.

Dentists,  aside of caring for people, do run a business, and any good business wants to keep customers happy and coming back for more.   Call your dentist and express your concerns.  I'm sure that he would like to do "good" by you.   Unfortunately, the only way to fix it is to make you a new your crown.   Since you are pregnant, I would wait after the baby comes to redo it.  Again, that is something you should calmly discuss with your dentist.

Congratulations on your new addition,

Best of luck,

Crown is discolored, is there anything that can be done to fix it?

Answers (4)