About Mark Bornfeld DDS Expertise I can respond to all questions dealing with the practice of dentistry, from both the dentist`s and patient`s perspective. I am knowledgeable about all dental disciplines, from cosmetic dentistry to surgery, from restorative dentistry to root canal treatment. I have strong opinions about controversial issues in dental practice, including those topics which directly impact on the reputation of the profession in the eyes of both the lay public and our health profession colleagues.
Experience
Past/Present Clients Editor, Queens County Academy of General Dentistry newsletter; contributor to Dentistry.com 29 years practicing general dentistry partnered with brother Steve as one-half of the DentalTwins®
After falling in the sixth grade and cracking my two front teeth in half, I have received three root canals on my front teeth (my two front teeth and one beside them). I am 24 now and just received my permanent crowns on my two front teeth about 8 months ago. They are porcelain on metal crowns. When I was getting them put on, as soon as the crowns would touch my gums, my gums would turn gray. When he would remove them they would turn pink again. He glued them in and said that the grayness would probably go away over time. My question is: what is the grayness and why hasn't it gone away? I have done some research and I know that sometimes you can have a gray line where the metal is showing under the gums but this grayness starts where the crown meets my gums and extends all the way up. What is it and should I be worried??
Thank you so much,
Grace
Answer Dear Grace,
A gray color that appears immediately after crown placement is usually due to a dark metal collar on the crown shining through the translucent thin gum tissue. If this is the case, your dentist's assertion that "the grayness would probably go away over time" is unrealistic. As long as your gums are translucent and those crown margins are gray (and there's no reason to expect that these parameters will change), the discoloration will remain.
Although this is not a cause for worry, it may be sufficiently objectionable on esthetic grounds to constitute an unacceptable result-- this is something that you must decide for yourself. Practically speaking, a gray gum margin does not impact appearance unless you have a high lip line-- i.e., if your lip rides up high enough when smiling or during other activities to allow those gray areas to become visible.
Although somewhat more fragile, all-ceramic crowns do not run the same risk of causing gray crown margins, and this may be an option if you decide to re-do your crowns.
Hope this helps...
Mark Bornfeld DDS
www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY
