I’m hoping you can help me. I have had two crowns on my front teeth for a long time. They’ve always looked a little pastier than my other teeth, but now they have this unsightly gray line and they are discolored. I need to get them replaced, but my dentist is insisting I get braces first. I really can’t afford that. Isn’t there any way they can do the crowns without my teeth being perfectly straight?

Martha

Dear Martha,

What your dentist is doing is unfair to you. He is insisting on the ideal treatment. Well, not everyone can afford the ideal. He should be able to do these crowns regardless of whether or not you have orthodontics done. How else would they have been placed on your teeth originally? I’m assuming the needed orthodontics isn’t a new thing.

You may have to see another dentist to work within your budget, but that’s okay. there are affordable dentists who take into consideration that sometimes a patient can’t get everything done at once. This is called phased treatment.

You can either get the crowns done now and put off the ortho until later. You can even skip braces altogether. It is completely up to you.

Orthodontics for Adults

If you decide later on you do want to straighten your teeth, you no longer have to get a mouth full of metal wires and brackets. There are better options for adults these days. Most prefer a brand of invisible braces called Invisalign.

These use clear aligners which allow you to straighten your teeth without anyone even knowing. They truly are invisible, even at a conversational distance.

Crowns for Front Teeth

There was a reason your dental crowns looked pasty when you first had them placed. Your dentist placed porcelain fused to metal crowns. While these are perfectly fine for back teeth, they are way too opaque looking for front teeth.

Plus, as you’ve experienced, they also eventually develop a gray line at the gumline. For front teeth, we recommend all-porcelain crowns. These look much more natural and will never develop that unsightly gray line.

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.