I had to have two dental crowns on my front teeth because of an accident. Before this, my smile looked fine. These crowns not only look chunky and fake, but the gums have been inflamed for months. My dentist said he has no idea why they are inflamed and wondered if I’m brushing properly. I’ve been brushing my teeth for 45 years. I know how to do it. I visited a periodontist who thinks the crowns went too deep whatever that means. But, either way I have gum disease and need to have some surgery to make this right. What do I do?

Cade

Dear Cade,

You are facing a two-fold problem. The first one is fairly common. Ugly dental crowns is the result of a dentist who did not invest enough in developing their cosmetic dentistry skills. There isn’t a recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry. As a result, it is up to the dentist how much training they get beyond dental school. Unfortunately, hardly any cosmetic work is taught in dental school, which focuses on the engineering side of things.

In most cases, this is where the problem ends. You have ugly dental crowns, but they are well made and well placed so they function well. Your issue goes one step further. Your dentist blew the general dentistry portion too. He violated the biological width, which means the crowns went too deep under the gums.

Because this has caused functional problems, this will work in your favor. Gum disease is serious and can cost you your teeth. I would like for you to ask for a refund on these crowns. From there, ask for them to pay for the repairs to your gums. They did this and should make it right. If you need gum surgery, you may want to look for a dentist who knows the pinhole technique which is suture free.

Now, when it comes to replacing these porcelain crowns, I want you to look on the mynewsmile.com website. They have a “Find a cosmetic dentist” link where you can input your zip code and how far you are willing to travel. They only recommend cosmetic dentists of the highest caliber. Any one of them will be able to provide you with beautiful, natural-looking crowns.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.