I had a dental implant placed recently on one of my front teeth, and the gum around the tooth doesn’t look right. The dentist recommended I get temporary crown and told me that the gum would drop back down to the normal position when it was in place.
Is this normal for it to drop back down after a temporary crown? In my opinion, it is quite obvious that I now have a fake tooth, which is exactly what I was trying to avoid. I spent nearly $6,000 and I expected it to blend in with my other teeth.
At this point I am regretting getting the dental implant done. I honestly feel like the flipper I had before looked better than this weird-looking dental implant that makes my gums look funny and uneven, like I have now.
Do I need to see a cosmetic dentist at this point? Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.
-Marty in North Carolina
Marty,
It is a good practice to have the temporary crown placed. It will give you a better idea to see if the gum will indeed grow down toward the tooth. However, it sounds like a long shot. It is doubtful that it will grow that much. It is in your best interest to insist that the temporary crown look exactly how you’d like it to before the permanent crown in bonded in place. This is good for many reasons. It gives you a chance to see how it will look and feel. Also, it gives you a better idea to see if indeed you’re getting what you expected and also what you paid for. You deserve to have a lifelike smile that looks natural.
When you smile, you want your teeth and gums to appear symmetrical. This is especially important across your front teeth that show when you smile. In some cases, a patient may say that they don’t show their gums when they smile, so it doesn’t matter. Spend some time looking in the mirror and see what you think. Make the biggest smile you can and see if the gum line is visible and shows the unevenness. If it isn’t something that shows, then it’s up to you about how important it is to get it right. But, if they show when you smile, or if you are constantly thinking about it or feel self-conscious, then it needs to be addressed.
The dental implant procedure definitely takes some time. If some time has passed since the surgery took place and the gums aren’t looking the way you expected, there is a possibility you may require additional surgical intervention to remedy the situation. But, the dentist should make it right. You expected things to look natural, and that is what you paid for.
A cosmetic dentist may also help in this situation. The side note that you may not realize is that cosmetic dentistry is not a regulated field within dentistry. That means any dentist can say they are a cosmetic dentist without any additional training beyond dental school. So, be sure to take a close look at their credentials and ask to see some examples of their work, including their cases done on the front teeth that show when they smile.
Whatever happens, you shouldn’t have to settle or get used to the way your gums look. There is nothing wrong with getting a second opinion for cosmetic dentistry or continuing to make requests to the dentist who placed the dental implant. You should have a smile you can feel good about and not hide when you smile.
Thank you for your question. Hopefully, this information is helpful to you as you consider the next steps.
This post is sponsored by Petaluma dentist Dr. Rick Lane.
It sounds like your dentist is giving up out of frustration. There are standard Vita shades, for example – A1 is too grey/white and A2 is too yellow. This matching works fine on a back tooth that isn’t visible when you smile. But for a front tooth, a cosmetic dentist will customize the shade to meet your specific needs. There is much detail that goes into selecting the final shading, getting the tint just right and perfecting the art of the appropriate translucency. Not any dentist can do that. Less than two percent of dentists actually have the skills to get this perfect that deserve to be called cosmetic dentist. That is also where the initial try session in is essential. This is an appointment where the cosmetic dentist will temporarily place your crown and let you see it. Any feedback can be given to the ceramist to get it perfect. And it all takes place prior to it being permanently bonded in place. It doesn’t sound like your current dentist is willing to do that, or even has the skill and knowledge to achieve the results you deserve. Most excellent cosmetic dentists wouldn’t cement the crown in place until you absolutely gave confirmation that you loved the way it looks.