Which Crowns Can Hide a Dark Front Tooth?

The porcelain fused to metal crowns on my center front teeth are 20 years old and look like it. I love to smile and want to know the best crown types. One tooth is dark from a root canal. What crowns should I ask for? Thanks. TJ

Cosmetic dentists use all-ceramic crowns to produce beautiful results that even a trained specialist can’t distinguish from natural teeth. Any all-ceramic option will withstand the forces of biting with your front teeth. Your choice of a cosmetic dentist is more important than the crown selection. Look for a dentist with keen artistic ability and allow them to choose ceramic crowns. Advanced cosmetic dentists collaborate with a master ceramist who knows dental materials and can recommend a crown type based on your surrounding teeth and the condition of the teeth beneath the crowns.

How Can a Crown Conceal a Dark Front Tooth?

A cosmetic dentist will prepare a dark tooth for a crown by masking the color with an opaquer. Options for blocking out the dark color include:

Applying a composite buildup material over the natural tooth before placing the crown
Asking a master ceramist to add an opaque layer in feldspathic porcelain, lithium disilicate, or zirconia crown to hide the dark tooth. Zirconia and lithium disilicate may require a thin layer of feldspathic porcelain on the surface to look natural
Selecting e.max crowns, which have a lithium disilicate core, and applying feldspathic porcelain over the crown

Instead of choosing a crown type and asking a dentist to use it, look for an expert cosmetic dentist. Their advanced training will help them select a crown for your needs and conceal the dark took. Selecting the crown first without knowing a dentist’s credentials can yield unattractive crowns for your front teeth. Schedule consultations with two expert cosmetic dentists to discuss options for natural-looking results with crowns on front teeth.

Rocky Hill cosmetic dentist Dr. Thaddeus Michalski sponsors this post.

Before and after crowns front teeth photos from Dr. Michalski of Rocky Hill — Dr. Michalski used dental crowns and veneers to restore this patient’s smile. See his smile gallery for more smile makeovers.

Why Are My Gums Peeling Around New Dental Crowns?

I’ve had six upper dental crowns on my front teeth since July 2021. The crowns for my left front tooth and the one behind it irritate my gums. My gums around the crowns swell and peel. Also, when I floss between the crowns, my gums bleed.

Although I asked the dental office for an alloy certificate, they gave me a document that says the crowns are GC LiSi Press, which I looked up online. The crowns are lithium disilicate, so I guess the problem may not be a metal allergy. I have not had metal allergies in the past, anyway. My concern is that the crowns are new. Something about them is unhealthy if my gums are irritated. What can I anticipate with my dentist? His treatment options seem a little pushy, so this time, I am expecting him to recommend dental implants to avoid future problems. – Thank you. Bethany from Virginia Beach, VA

Bethany,

Although Dr. Michalski would need to examine your gums and crowns, we will provide information on lithium disilicate crowns and sensitivities.

What Causes Peeling Gums and Irritation Around Crowns?

Peeling gums, bleeding, and irritation around crowns with a metal foundation can be an allergic reaction. If you have non-metal dental crowns, gum irritation may be related to food particles caught between your gums or a functional problem with the crowns.

Two ceramic dental crowns — Irritation around dental crowns doesn’t mean you need extractions and dental implants instead

The next time you floss your teeth, pay attention to whether anything seems to catch the floss or prevent it from moving freely. If you feel a ledge snagging the floss, your dentist must correct the overhand on the crowns.

It is unlikely that the concerns you describe are problems with your tooth structure or health that require removing your teeth and replacing them with dental implants.

What Are GC LiSi Press Crowns?

GC LiSi Press crowns are metal-free, high-density lithium disilicate. We are unaware of lithium disilicate allergies, but we cannot say that it is impossible to be allergic to the material. Still, if you were allergic to lithium disilicate, you would react to all the crowns, not just two.

Schedule an appointment with your dentist for a thorough examination.

Rocky Hill, Connecticut, cosmetic dentist Dr. Thaddeus Michalski sponsors this post.