Dental crowns are an incredible dental treatment; it’s one of the few that serves equally well as a cosmetic or restorative procedure. Whether you’re repairing after a root canal or transforming your smile, you can expect to be pleased with the results they’ll give you.
Your dentist will take the time to craft you a perfect tooth designed to match the color and shape of your natural teeth. But have you ever wondered how they do that? If you’re curious, here’s a guide to what a dentist is likely to do to choose the color of your crown.
Getting an Idea
The first step in determining the color of your dental crown will be subjective. Your dentist will use a small slide called a shade guide, which contains tiny slabs of porcelain made of different colors. Your dentist will compare these to your teeth and make a note of which one seems closest. This isn’t just about light and dark, but the color undertones of your teeth as well.
In doing this, your dentist uses natural light or white fluorescent light to get the most accurate sense of what color would work, as yellow incandescent lights may interfere with the process of color selection. If you’re wearing striking colors, they may also cover you in a gray bib so that the contrast doesn’t affect their judgment.
Scientific Study
Once your dentist has made a preliminary decision, they’ll then use various tools at their disposal to double-check their initial pick. The first is to get a second opinion; this can be from a dental technician or another dentist at their practice. Many dental practices also have a device called a spectrometer that measures the precise color of your teeth.
Collaborative Creation
Taking all of the data they collected into consideration, your dentist will finish by taking careful notes about the color of your teeth. They’ll then send these notes, along with a diagram of the proper dimensions of the crown, to the lab to be sculpted.
Getting your crown’s color to match your natural teeth perfectly is nearly impossible. That’s why your dentist is so thorough at this stage of the dental crown design process; to try and get it so close that no one will even notice you’ve had dental work done. Now that you know what goes into it, you can appreciate the beautiful results all that much more.
About Our Practice
At Complete Dental Care, we want to make getting the highest quality dental care as easy as possible for you and your family. Our incredible dental team will go out of their way to make you feel welcome when you visit our office. Whether you’re coming in for a checkup, a restoration, or even a dental emergency, we’ll give you the respect and attention you deserve!
If you have any questions about dental crowns, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (253) 854-2714.