Why Are My Dental Crowns the Wrong Color?

Posted by AllSmiles

My dental crowns are the wrong color. They looked lighter in the dental office. The crowns are for my center front teeth and left incisor. When I was in the dental office, the crowns looked like they matched my other teeth perfectly, so I agreed that my dentist could cement them on. Fortunately, they fit well, and I don’t have any problems with my bite. When I got home, I looked at them in the mirror. The crowns looked like they had a grayish-blue tint and did not match my teeth. I went outside and looked in the mirror but still saw the tint that I did not see in the dental office. I’m confused. Thanks. Tammi

Tammi,

Did your dentist use a try-in paste between the crowns and the teeth beneath them, or were the heights dry?

We ask because if your dentist placed the crowns on your teeth without a try-in paste, they do not transmit the underlying tooth color as they would with a bonding material between the crowns and teeth. A grayish-blue tint can result from a stain or a metal post in a tooth. Some cosmetic dentists use clear glycerin during the try-in to mimic the crown color after it is cemented to a tooth.

Another possibility is metamerism, which means that the color of certain materials varies with the type of light, such as fluorescent light versus daylight. However, high-quality, clear bonding cement does not change color when the dentist cures it by attaching the dental crown to your tooth.

We recommend taking pictures of your teeth in various lighting to show to your dentist. Ask friends or family if they can see the color difference between your new crowns and surrounding natural teeth. Talk to your dentist about your concerns and ask how you can work together to resolve them.

If your dentist’s attempts are unsuccessful, consult an advanced cosmetic dentist for a second opinion.

It is good that your crowns fit well and are not disrupting your bite, contributing to jaw pain and other TMJ concerns. We hope you get a resolution for the color mismatch.

Rocky Hill, Connecticut, cosmetic dentist Dr. Thaddeus Michalski sponsors this post. Read how he strives to provide patients with some of the best dental care in Rocky Hill.