Do you have a decayed or damaged tooth, or have you recently undergone a root canal? If so, your dentist will likely want to fit you with a dental crown to prevent further harm while restoring your damaged tooth’s appearance and functionality.
Although this treatment has many advantages, plenty of people avoid it because they assume their prosthetic will stick out like a sore thumb compared to their natural teeth. However, your dentist carefully customizes your dental crown to be just the right shade for seamless results. If you’re curious how they color-match the material, continue reading to learn more!
What Are Dental Crowns?
These tooth-shaped caps are used to preserve injured teeth so you can continue using them normally, though they can also be placed on top of dental implants or to anchor dental bridges to replace missing teeth.
Historically, they were made from amalgam metals that glinted in the sunlight and conducted hot and cold temperatures into the tender nerves in teeth, which can cause sensitivity. Today, most dentists make dental crown out of color-matched ceramic that can last 5 to 15+ years with the right care.
How Are Dental Crowns Color-Matched?
Depending on their experience and technology, your provider might use one of two methods to pick just the right hue for your new tooth. The standard method involves holding a color card, which is a metal or plastic device containing many different swatches of tooth tones. This can be held against your enamel to find an appropriate equivalent, or your dentist might take multiple images or scans and load them into a computer to compare shades.
Otherwise, if your dentist prefers more modern methods, they might use a small electronic device, known as a spectrometer. This has small sensors that interpret the shade of your teeth.
What Factors Determine the “Right” Color?
There are three main factors that can help them determine the best option to match your grin, and they are:
- The hue. This refers to the underlying tone of your teeth, whether it’s yellow, red, or gray.
- The chroma. This determines how saturated, or intensely colored, your teeth appear.
- The value. This value describes how light or dark the shade is.
Once a few options are identified, you and your dentist can work together to make a final decision.
Thanks to modern developments in dental materials, technology, and techniques, today dental crowns look more lifelike than ever before!
About the Practice
At St. Albans Dental, you and your family benefit from a trio of dentists eager to help people of all ages build and maintain happy, healthy smiles. Dr. Aten, Dr. Cone, and Dr. Davico collaborate to provide a comprehensive menu of services to meet all your needs at one convenient location, including placing dental crowns. Their compassionate and caring approach is combined with state-of-the-art equipment to enhance patient comfort while delivering accurate, long-lasting results. If you have an injured tooth requiring attention, you can request an appointment on the website or call (802) 524-4844.