I had a dental implant placed, but it does not match the teeth next to it, which is making it look fake. I know it is fake, but I don’t want others to know that! My dentist has replaced it twice. The first was too dark. The second too light. My dentist said I need to just take what I can get and that my teeth are between A1 and A2 so it is impossible to get a perfect match. Then, he said if I keep having them mess with the implant that I could cause it to fail. I was considering getting a second opinion until he said that. Now, I’m worried I could lose the whole implant. Do you have any recommendations for me? Am I being too picky?
Laura
Dear Laura,
First, you are not being too picky. Instead, your dentist is not being picky enough. My guess is this is your typical bread and butter general dentist who does not do much cosmetic dentistry, if any. The A1 and A2 he is referring to is from a shade guide. These are fine for teeth that are not very visible when you smile. However, if you have a tooth that is exposed to any light, those shade guides are not enough on their own.
When a dentist is doing a crown on a front tooth, whether for dental implants or something else, they also provide a color map for the lab. With this, they would use their tint tabs and map out for the lab where to place the various shades and tints. My guess is your dentist does not even have tint tabs.
Another problem I am seeing with your dentist is that he is misleading you by saying you can damage the dental implant by switching this again. If there is something wrong with the dental implant after he changes a crown, that would mean that he didn’t do it correctly. Your dental implant should be perfectly secure.
I don’t think this is the best dentist for you. I would go to a different dentist to get this dental crown done. Make sure they have cosmetic dentistry experience. Check out their smile gallery to ensure that they get beautiful results. In addition, if they know what they are doing, they will use a temporary try-in paste. If it is a front tooth you are dealing with, it often takes two or three try-ins to get an exact match. They won’t use a permanent bonding agent until they have it perfectly matched. You will be better served in the long run with another dentist.
This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Steven Collins.