Ive grey post underneath the crown which makes it look bad. How can i match the colour

Q. I had two porcelain crowns put onto my front teeth at the end of last year to improve their cosmetic appearance. One of them was over a root canal which was about 10 years old. Recently (about 6 months later) the root canalled tooth underneath the crown broke, so that the entire fusion of tooth and crown snapped off near to the gum (aargh!!!) I went back to my dentist, who replaced it with another porcelain crown and a gold post. But when the post was fitted it didn’t look very gold – more dark grey – and it shines through the porcelain so that it looks a darker colour than the tooth next door. For both the first crowns and the subsequent replacement crown I went to the dental lab for shade matching. The new crown is (I think) a really good colour match, it’s just the nasty grey post underneath making it look awful! My dentist says that since the tooth is already root canalled, if the post ever fails I’ll need an implant and that this is the only way it will ever match my other tooth. Are there any other options to achieve a good colour match without having an implant? Should a gold post be a dark grey colour? And if so, why on earth do they not manufacture pale-coloured posts?! (…maybe a non-toxic pale-coloured metal doesn’t exist) Also, isn’t an implant just a permanent post attached to the jaw bone, and therefore won’t it be dark grey-coloured too? Many thanks for your advice.

A. It is possible to cover the grey metal post with an opaquing material in the lab to reduce the shine through of the metal under a porcelain crown. This has to be done before the crown is fitted. As the crown is already in place  you have 2 options, 1. Replace the crown and fit a metal-ceramic crown, this will cover up the metal shine through of the post but may not match the crown on the opposite side as the materials are slightly different, or 2. Replace the crown and post (if possible to remove).
If the tooth is removed and an implant is fitted the metal will be covered in the bone so you don’t see the metal through the crown.

Dr Andrew Moore Advance Dental Clinic 104 Moulsham Street, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 0JG Web: www.advancedentalclinic.com Tel: 08443 87 87 88 View My Profile Dr Moore
October 10th, 2011 at 08:47 PM
Michelle Says :

Hi, 4 years ago, i had a metal fused to porcelain crown done, and recently i went to a cosmetic dentist to get a all ceramic crown done, i only then realised i had a metal post and now it shines through my all ceramic crown….my dentist did suggest that it is very difficult to remove a healthy post and mine is very healthy…it could fracture resulting an implant and i can’t take the high risk. Would it be possible to still have a ceramic crown but have it bit more opaque in the middle to hide the metal post? My teeth are shade A1 and my dentist said i would have to go for a much yellow crown to hide the post but can he not make it a bit more opaque in the middle to eliminate the greyish colour metal post?

Many thanks!
Michelle

October 17th, 2011 at 08:47 PM
Trenton Says :

what is Zirconium crown made of? Does it look as good as porcelain crowns? Would i be able to ask my dentist to replace my porcelain crown? (It’s all insured) would it eliminate the greyness and hide the metal post if i opted for a zirconium crown? Have you ever removed a healthy post? And is the risk very high? I can never afford getting an implant especially i’m only 23. Is zirconium crown similar to porcelain fused to metal crown? Many thanks for your time

October 17th, 2011 at 08:47 PM
Mckenna Says :

Zirconium crowns are a strong alternative to metal ceramic without the metal. I don’t remove posts unless absolutely necessary, the zirconium crown should prevent the post shining through like it does with a normal porcelain crown

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