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“Hello doctor,
I have had my left canine missing for several years now. It shortens my smile and gives me an image that I am not happy with. I have recently been to the dentist and he told me that I can get implants because my jaw bone is strong enough to have them. I have been thinking of getting them but there are some questions that I have, doctor. If I get a crown, does it stain easily? Does it stain at the same rate as my normal teeth? If so, what can I do to remove stains? Can I just sue the strips I usually use? If they do not, what can I do to not have that artificial tooth look?
Thank you in advance,
Dimitri”
Dear Dimitri,
Getting dental implants is definitely the way to go, as you will start to have teeth falling out sooner or later if you don’t. And even if you do not get dental implants, in order to correct your bite, you will need to get crowns or bridges, or some sort of dental prostheses. These will be made out of the porcelain that all crowns are made of.
Porcelain that is used in crowns is designed to stain at the same rate that teeth stain. The same things will stain it that stain the enamel on your teeth; coffee, tea, red fruits and berries, red wine, smoking, and turmeric will all stain your crowns the same way that they stain your natural teeth. The removal of these stains happens the same way that removal of stains from natural teeth occurs. This can be done with the at home whitening strips you have already mentioned, and yes, your crown will be the same color as the day you got them.
However, it is very very important to note that getting the right shade at the dentists office is where a lot of problems, like the “fake tooth look” you mentioned comes from. This occurs because the crown is not the same shade as the teeth, and thus it sticks out like a sore thumb from the rest of the teeth. It is important that the dentist give you the shade of teeth you already have. When getting a crown, most dentistries will offer the option of trying the crown on and seeing if you like it. Make sure you get this option and try the crown out and see how it fits with the rest of your teeth, both in shape and in color.
