I had a dental implant on a front tooth. The gumline is now higher above the dental implant than the remainder of my teeth. My dentist put a temporary crown on it and said he thinks the the gumline will drop. It hasn’t and the uneven gumline makes this tooth look obviously fake. I’m worried this is not going to drop down. My dental flipper looked more natural than this. What should I do?
Kate
Dear Kate,
It was a good idea on the part of your dental implant dentist to use a temporary crown to make sure that your gum does drop down. I don’t think that it will, but it was worth trying. If the tooth is looking fake, it is probably because of more than just the gumline. I would make sure that your temporary crown looks exactly the way you want it to before you let him bond on anything permanent. The permanent crown is made based on the design of the temporary crown. You are paying for a crown to match the remainder of your smile, there is nothing wrong with making sure you get that.
As for the gumline, there are a couple of options. I would look at whether or not the gum is visible when you smile. If it is not, you might not want to bother with it at all. If it does, then I would insist your dentist ensure the gumline across your front teeth is symmetrical when you smile.
After dental implants are placed, if the gumline isn’t even with where it is supposed to be, then it will require some surgery to get it there. I would insist your dentist arranges that if it is necessary.
If he can’t get the porcelain crown to look normal in a way that matches the remainder of your teeth, then tell him you will be paying for the implant but want to go somewhere else to get the dental crown done. Matching a front tooth is not an easy thing, so you will want an expert cosmetic dentist. Look at their smile gallery to get an idea of the type of work they do.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Cosmetic Dentist Dr. William Becker.