Tag Archives: Porcelain Fused To Metal Crowns

Porcelain Veneers

Why Is My Porcelain Veneer Staining My Tooth?

I don’t know what’s going on with my porcelain veneer. I had a large chip on a tooth on a front tooth. My dentist fixed it with a porcelain veneer a few years ago. For some reason it’s developed a black stain at the top near the gumline. What can I do to fix that? It’s a little embarrassing.

Wesley C.

Dear Wesley,

There are a couple of possibilities going on here. To determine which, we’ll need to be certain what you have is actually a porcelain veneer. A porcelain veneer is just placed on the front of your tooth. Very little is done to the actual tooth with the exception of some mild shaving. It’s possible your dentist placed a dental crown instead. For these, your teeth need to be ground down quite a bit, to a nub. Then a restoration is made that surrounds the entire tooth.

If you have a dental crown, based on what you’ve said your dentist likely gave you a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown (PFM). Though, for the life of me I can’t fathom why any decent cosmetic dentist would place a metal-based crown on a front tooth. The appropriate crown for a front tooth would be an all-porcelain crown. The metal-based crowns eventually develop a gray line at the gumline. You’ve only had your restoration a few years. That seems a little soon for the gray line to develop unless you have gum disease or possibly if you brush too hard.

If you do have a porcelain veneer, this shouldn’t be happening at all. It’s a sign your dentist didn’t bond it correctly. It should sit flush with your tooth. If your dentist doesn’t properly smooth it out they’ll be a ledge which can trap bacteria. Another possibility is the bond is so week things are getting between the veneer and the tooth. Both of these will lead to staining and, eventually, decay.

The solution to either of these is it needs to be replaced. If the problem is a crown, you’ll want to replace it with an all-porcelain crown. If it’s a veneer, your dentist should replace it free of charge. The mistake was his.

You may have to get a second opinion from someone who isn’t your dentist to get an honest answer.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Mike Malone.

Porcelain Veneers

Can I Switch My Metal Crowns with Porcelain Veneers?

I’ve got four metal-based crowns. I’ve never been thrilled with them. They’ve always looked more cloudy than my natural teeth, but it was better than no teeth. Lately, though, there’s been this dark line at my gumline. It’s making it impossible for me to smile without feeling humiliated. I’ve started avoiding going out in public. Last night, I saw an article about porcelain veneers. The pictures were stunning. First, are they really that gorgeous or was that clever photoshopping? Second, can I switch out my metal-based crowns with porcelain veneers?

Millie M. – Indiana

Millie,

No one should be embarrassed to smile. With that said, I don’t want you to feel alone. There are many people (Americans especially) who are unhappy with some aspect of their smile. We want perfection. Cloudy teeth you can maybe get away with. It’s not ideal, but it’s not necessarily distracting or ugly. A gray line at your gumline is both distracting and ugly. I understand your desire to make a switch.

Porcelain veneers really can be that stunning. Whether they are or not depends on the skill of the cosmetic dentist. A skilled, artistic cosmetic dentist can give you a gorgeous smile. Toward that end, I have good news and bad news regarding switching out your crowns with veneers.

First, the bad news. You cannot. It doesn’t matter what type of crown it is. The reason is the structural difference between the two treatments. Porcelain veneers bond to the very front of the teeth. Hardly any tooth structure is removed to place them. Dental crowns, on the other hand, fit over the entirety of your teeth, which requires grinding down a large amount of tooth structure. Because of that, there’s not enough tooth left for the veneers to be bonded to.

Now for the good news. You can still replace these ugly crowns and get a gorgeous smile. Instead of replacing your metal-based crowns with porcelain veneers, you can replace them with all-porcelain crowns. These can be created just as beautifully as porcelain veneers. Unlike their metal-based relations, all-porcelain crowns will not look cloudy. It’s the base that makes which makes that necessary in order to hide the metal. Also, you’ll never have to worry about them developing that unsightly gray line.

The key will be the dentist. The get the best results, look for an AACD accredited dentist. Accreditation is different than membership. You can purchase membership. Accreditation is earned by demonstrating proficiency in both technical skill and artistry.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Mike Malone.

Cosmetic Dentist

I think my gum is infected, but my dentist said it is normal

I’m a little worried that my gum is infected. There is a dark line on the edge of it. I went to see my dentist, but he said that is normal when you have a crown and it is nothing to worry about.  I can’t help but worrying.  I can’t imagine that my gum being dark is normal.

Ginny D. – New Hampshire

Ginny,

I suspect that your dentist gave you porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.  Those often develop a dark line at the gum line.  While your dentist is right that it is not an infection, that doesn’t mean you want a gray line visible every time you smile.

Unfortunately, the only way to get rid of it is to get new crowns.  Be sure not to get the porcelain fused to metal crowns again.  What you’ll want is to get an artistic cosmetic dentist to give you all porcelain crowns. You’ll find that not only will you not have to worry about any gray line turning up at your gumline, but you’ll have crowns that look much more natural than I suspect the ones you currently have do.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette LA Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Uncategorized

My porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are ugly

For more than twenty years I have had crowns on my two front teeth. They are porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns, as was normally placed back in the day. They have never looked all that great, but in recent years they have really started to look terrible. There is a dark line right where the crowns meet my teeth, and it is really noticeable because  I have a really big smile.

Is there anything that can be done to get rid of that line? If I have to replace the porcelain crowns, do you think Lumineers would work for me?

I appreciate your help with this.

Mallory from New Haven, CT

 Dear Mallory,

There really is not anything that can be done to disguise that black line, which as you have pointed out is one of the major drawbacks of porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. You also touched a little on the other issue with porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns when used for front teeth — they don’t look very good. Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are too opaque to look realistic in the front teeth.

You will need to get them replaced with porcelain crowns, and Lumineers might be an option. But the best advice I can give you is to see an experienced, artistic cosmetic dentist for this procedure. Any dentist can claim to do cosmetic dentistry, but you’ll want one who has training, experience and talent. Smile makeovers require a rare balance of artistry and science, and only a small percentage of dentists have it. Make sure you choose the right professional, and you may have a smile you love for the first time in many years.

This blog brought to you courtesy of Dr. Mike Malone, Lafayette Louisiana cosmetic dentist.