One of the biggest fears patients have before opting for dental implants is that the end result will look unnatural and their new tooth will stick out amongst their other teeth. However, with today’s innovative technology and with a highly-experienced dental team, this should be the least of your concerns.
Dental implants are specifically designed to mimic (and improve) the look of your natural teeth, including the coloring. We’ll never implant a crown that is too white or too dark compared to the rest of your teeth. Once the procedure is completed, even you may have a hard time identifying which tooth is the implant.
How dentists match the color of your dental implants to your teeth
Creating a natural-looking replacement to your damaged, broken, or missing tooth starts with a strong, durable material that mimics the same look and texture of natural teeth. For this, we often utilize porcelain. Porcelain not only holds up to the daily stress we put on our teeth, promising years’ worth of use, but it also shares with our natural teeth a hard-to-replicate translucent appearance.
The next step is to “tint” the porcelain crown to give it a shade closer to the rest of your teeth. Your dentist will place a card with varying color shades next to your teeth to determine which looks most natural against your smile. This should always be done in natural lighting or under warm-toned bulbs to ensure colors aren’t be washed out in harsh lighting. You shouldn’t be surprised if they ask for a second opinion. Everyone experiences colors slightly differently, so having confirmation from another source can help guarantee a closer match.
Another characteristic that porcelain crowns share with your natural teeth is that they can become stained over time with a lack of proper dental care and excessive intake of coffee, tea, or red wines. This makes it important to care for your crowns (and your other teeth) to avoid any unsightly discolorations. If your teeth are already discolored, you may choose to undergo teeth whitening prior to implanting your permanent crown.
Other ways dentists make implants look natural
Many dentists view dental implant procedures to be a form of art. This is because no two sets of teeth are alike, and while it requires advanced technology and technical procedures, it also requires a good eye for blending implants with your other teeth.
Your dentist will use digital or physical impressions of your mouth to match grooves and ridges so that it fits the look of your mouth. This also helps with creating a more comfortable bite that feels as natural as it looks. While most of the customization will be done in the lab, it isn’t uncommon for a dentist to perform some last-minute shaving and shaping during your fitting. And of course, if you or your dentist aren’t happy with the end result, it can always be sent back to the lab for fixing.
Schedule a consultation
Learn more about how our Long Island dental team can fit you with strong, beautiful, and natural-looking teeth by scheduling a consultation. We’ll walk you through the whole procedure and let you know exactly what you can expect from your new smile.
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