How Dentists Use Color to Make Dental Crowns Look Like Teeth

Whether you need to repair a child’s damaged tooth or improve the appearance of their smile, a dental crown could be the perfect solution. One of the most important aspects of dental crowns is ensuring that they blend in with natural teeth. This is where the artful science of color-matching comes into play.

If you’re curious how dentists use color to help restorations match existing teeth, continue reading!

What Is a Dental Crown?

Before diving into color-matching, you should know what dental crowns are and what they do. Dental crowns are custom-made covers that fit over a damaged or weakened tooth. This will restore the tooth’s appearance, strength, and function.

Crowns can be made from different materials, including porcelain, ceramic, metal, or some combination. The most common crown material used today is porcelain for its looks and strength.

Why Does Color-Matching Matter?

The goal of a dental crown is to restore your smile’s look and help it keep chewing your food. This means that the crown should blend into your natural teeth in terms of color, shape, and size. Achieving a natural look is important, which is why dentists train in color-matching to achieve the best results.

How Does Color-Matching Work?

Color-matching dental crowns is a careful and artistic process that requires an eye for detail. Dentists use various tools and techniques to ensure a perfect match. Some examples of this are:

• Shade Guides – Dentists use shade guides that are kind of like paint swatches you’d find at a hardware store. These have a range of tooth-colored tabs to compare and select the closest match to your natural tooth color.
• Lighting – Proper lighting is important for accurate color assessment. Dentists use natural and artificial light sources to evaluate how the crown looks in different lighting conditions. If you want a fun activity to do with your child, get some different colored lightbulbs and change them out in a room to show them how colored light can affect how you see!
• Custom Blending – In cases where a perfect match can’t be found in standard shade guides, some dental laboratories can custom-blend shades to create a color match that’s unique to your tyke’s teeth.
• Material Selection – The choice of materials for the crown can change the final color match. Dentists may opt for all-porcelain or ceramic crowns that mimic the translucency and shade of tooth enamel.

Dental crown color-matching is an important step in the process of restoring your child’s smile. With a friendly dentist and the use of advanced techniques and materials, you can expect a dental crown to look just like natural teeth!

About the Author

Dr. Allen Pearson has been a pediatric dentist for over 20 years. He shares his love of learning and healthy teeth with all of his young patients, helping them to live healthier lives. Dr. Pearson earned his dental degree from the Creighton University School of Dentistry. He then obtained his Pediatric Dental Specialty Certificate at the University of Rochester Medical Center and Eastman Dental College. Today he continues to expand his knowledge and skill through multiple professional organizations. To schedule a dental crown consultation at Wylie Children’s Dentistry, call (972) 429-7070 or visit the website to learn more.