I decided to get Zoom whitening done to whiten my smile before I got a crown. The dentist encouraged me to do it since the crown’s color would not whiten in the future. So, I took his recommendation. I got the Zoom, then after a month I did the crown. Unfortunately, I don’t like it. The crown isn’t the same color as my teeth. It is darker and I didn’t realize in until it was too late. Shouldn’t my dentist have noticed the differentiation in color? He said he made the crown as white as possible to match my surrounding teeth. Then, he went on to say that no one would notice it since it isn’t a front tooth that shows when I smile. Well, that’s partially true, but I can see it. When I smile, I notice it! When I called into the office to complain, the receptionist told me not to worry that my teeth would darken over time. I feel like I’ve been duped! Will my teeth fade to match the crown? What was the point in trying to match it? Ugh! Please tell me you have some real answers for me.

-Vicki in Georgia

Vicki,

Sorry to hear you haven’t had the best cosmetic dentistry experience. Unfortunately, any dentist can claim to do cosmetic dentistry and may not have any advanced training on the subject. It may be wise to see another cosmetic dentist if you decide to get any cosmetic dentistry done moving forward.

There should be no visible differentiation between your new porcelain crown and your teeth that were done with Zoom whitening. When he mentions the whitest shade possible for the crown, it doesn’t sound like he is that familiar with the variety of shades available. He shouldn’t have had any issue in making a crown to match your newly whitened teeth. You shouldn’t have to settle either. Sadly, based on the information you provided it doesn’t sound like he knows too much about cosmetic dentistry. You should have been able to see exactly how it was going to look before it was cemented in.

Lastly, the receptionist is wrong. There is no way to know whether or not the surrounding teeth will fade to match the new crown. The hue and coloration over time for the Zoom whitened teeth varies by each individual due to your personal habits, etc. The bad news is that the crown will need to be redone in order to match the surrounding teeth. The dentist should make it right and re-do if for you. But if you aren’t confident in his ability, which no one would blame you at this point, you can try to request some sort of refund and see another more experienced cosmetic dentist. Sorry, wishing there was a better solution. Best of luck!