Porcelain Crowns Turning Yellow

I had several porcelain crowns done just over six months ago. They were absolutely beautiful when I first got them. I was so excited. Now they’re turning yellow. I don’t smoke. I do drink some coffee, but my dentist originally told me that wouldn’t be a problem. I brush twice a day just like I’m supposed to. I have no idea what’s going on. Do you have any advice?

Margie

Dear Margie,

a porcelain crown being placed on a tooth

Your porcelain crowns need to be looked at to find out what is going on with them. What your dentist told you is true; porcelain crowns are very stain resistant and shouldn’t be turning yellow. Bear in mind I haven’t seen your crowns, but have a few things which come to mind right away that could be causing this.

First, as it has been six months since you had them placed, my guess is you’ve recently had another checkup and cleaning. It’s possible the hygienist used something which damaged the glazing on your crowns. Two culprits which do this is power cleaning tools such as a Prophy Jet or if he or she used acidulated fluoride. The Prophy Jet blasts sodium bicarbonate on your teeth to get them super clean. It’s so strong it removes the glazing. Acidulated fluoride chemically damages the glazing. Either one of these will cause your crowns to pick up stains.

Another possibility is the glaze was damaged when they were placed. This can happen if the lab didn’t place the glaze on properly to begin with or if your dentist damaged the glaze while adjusting your crowns.

Lastly, it is possible these aren’t really porcelain crowns. I’ve heard of dentists telling patients they were getting porcelain crowns but he actually gave them composite crowns. These don’t resist stains nearly as well.

You Need a Second Opinion

I’m going to suggest you get a second opinion from a different dentist. Some dentists even give free second opinions. Whenever you go for a second opinion don’t tell the dentist who did the original work. If they’re friends, they may feel uncomfortable criticizing the dentist’s work. This way, you get an unbiased opinion.

If it turns out any of these three things happened, your dentist needs to pay to have the crowns redone.

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