Dentist Says My Teeth Are Too White to Match Crown

I needed to get a crown on my lateral incisor. The dentist can’t seem to match the crown to my other teeth. He’s tried twice. When I still wasn’t happy he said that my teeth are too white and don’t match any of the dental crown colors. I’m having a hard time believing that. Surely people with white teeth need crowns too.

Leslie

Dear Leslie,

You are right to be suspicious here. It sounds like you’re not with the best dentist. He has not kept up with his field. Above is likely the type of guide your dentist is using. This was commonly used for matching dental crowns for many years. Then teeth whitening became popular. What you don’t see on the above guide are very white color options.

Dentists started noticing the problem and the shade guide companies did as well. They came out with an extension for the color guide, such as the one pictured above. Now dentists can match the crowns to whiter colors. If your dentist is not keeping up with tooth color changes, which is one of the most basic “added” services in the dental field, I would have serious doubts in his ability to create a beautiful crown no matter what the color.

It’s a tiny bit easier to match a lateral incisor than a front tooth, but that tooth is still very visible when you smile. You would want an exact match. Otherwise, your smile will look off. It may even be obvious that the dental crown is fake.

My suggestion is for you to ask for a refund on your dental crown. Then, go to a dentist who has real cosmetic dentistry training. The best cosmetic dentists are AACD accredited, which means they’ve passed stringent exams as well as demonstrated it’s artistry. Any one of them could give you a gorgeous crown that blends in perfectly with your dental crown.

It’s obvious the appearance of your teeth matters to you. I am going to gently suggest that you look for a dentist who cares about appearance related dental care as well.

This blog is brought to you by a top-rated dentist in Nashville, Dr. David Wickness.