Dental crowns are caps that completely cover up a tooth and are usually used for pearly whites that have been badly damaged. They protect the tooth from further harm, restore its look, and allow it to function better. If you have a dental crown, you may notice that a black line has begun to form. Read on to learn why there’s a black line around your dental crown and how your dentist can fix it.
What’s Causing the Dark Lines?
Along with protecting your tooth, dental restorations are also meant to give you a more beautiful smile. for this reason, having a black line around your dental crown is the last thing you want to happen. This makes your smile look less healthy and gives away that the affected tooth has been restored. The good news is that a dark line forming between your crowns and gums isn’t a result of an oral health issue. If your crown is porcelain-fused-to-metal, this is likely just the metal showing through.
How Your Dentist Can Fix It
Even though it isn’t a sign that you have an oral health issue that needs treating, dark lines can still lessen the beauty of your smile. Crowns can be constructed from a variety of materials, but modern ones are usually made from ceramic or porcelain. Since it’s incredibly realistic and can be made to perfectly match the rest of your smile, porcelain is often the preferred option. These crows are equally as durable as metal ones, and you won’t have to worry about them forming black lines.
Maintaining Your New Crowns
If you’ve decided to speak with your dentist about having your porcelain-fused-to-metal crown replaced with one made only of porcelain, it’s important that you take good care of your new restoration. A few ways to do this include:
- Brush and floss – Just because the tooth is covered up doesn’t mean that you don’t need to brush and floss it as part of your oral hygiene routine. Brush once in the morning and once at night for two minutes each time and floss before you go to bed to ensure that your smile remains healthy.
- Wear your mouthguard – If you play contact sports or grind your teeth at night, wear a mouthguard to protect your pearly whites from harm.
- Don’t use teeth as tools – Though opening packages and bottles with your teeth and chewing on ice or other non-food objects may seem harmless, this should be avoided as it can cause damage to your crowns.
- Visit your dentist – Every six months, visit your dentist so they can make sure that you don’t have any oral health issues developing that may jeopardize your crown. During these appointments, you will also have your teeth thoroughly cleaned to lessen your chances of decay.
When it’s well-maintained, a dental crown can last around 15 years. So, with proper care and by following the above tips, you’ll be enjoying a gorgeous grin for years to come!
About the Practice
If you have a black line around your dental crown, Brown Reynolds Snow LeNoir Dentistry can help. They can replace your old crown with a porcelain one to improve the look of your smile in one of their two convenient offices. Call Brown Reynolds Snow LeNoir Dentistry’s Patterson office at (804) 288-5324, their Ridgefield office at (804) 754-4161, or visit their website for more information on dental crowns or to set up an appointment with their skilled team.