I got porcelain veneers. There was one tooth that already had crown, so that one had to have a new crown placed. I was worried I wouldn’t get a good smile, because my underlying teeth, the inner layer is darker than most peoples. At least that’s what my dentist told me. The veneers look fine. Much better than I expected, but the crown doesn’t match. It’s whiter than the veneers next to it. Is there a way to make them match?
Lillith B. – Ohio
Hi Lillith,
I’m glad you’re happy with your porcelain veneers. They can really remake a smile. When the underlying are darker, it can get a little trickier. But, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. It just has to be done by an expert cosmetic dentist. It sounds to me like you have a good family dentist who does cosmetic work, but maybe hasn’t studied the advanced aspects of it.
To be a great cosmetic dentist takes a lot of post-graduate training. Porcelain veneers are thing. Porcelain is naturally translucent, just like your natural tooth enamel, which makes it an excellent dental material. However, porcelain veneers are significantly thicker than veneers. If the underlying teeth are dark, as yours are, that dark color is going to shine through the porcelain veneers much more than it would with the crown.
One of the ways to get around this is for the dentist to add an opaquer to the teeth before sending your case off to the lab. It takes quite a bit of skill on the part of the dentist, so not many can do it. If I were in your place, I’d look for a dentist who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD).
This blog is brought to you by Dr. Randall Burba.