Crowns with Awkward Color and Shape Next to Your Teeth at Mapo Station Dental Clinic? This is How a Prosthodontist Matches Them.

Treatment Details

Hello,

This is Jihyun Park,

Chief Director and Prosthodontist at Seoul Yido Dental Clinic.

Regarding the anterior tooth that appeared dark in the previous case,

and how we re-treated it,

I mentioned that I would explain what DTI (Digital Try-in) is

in the next post, didn't I?

Hello. I am Jihyun Park, a prosthodontist and the chief director of Seoul Yido Dental Clinic.

Why Do Anterior Crowns Look Unnatural?
 

I mentioned that many people

are stressed because their previously treated anterior crowns

look somewhat unnatural in both shape and color,

more than you might think.

For an anterior crown to look truly natural,

two main things must be correct.

✓ Shape

✓ Color

If even one of these is off,

in the highly visible anterior region,

the unnaturalness will be immediately noticeable.

Shape Starts with a Blueprint
 

Let's now take a closer look at the process

of creating natural anterior teeth.

For shape, we first create a blueprint

with a diagnostic wax-up.

We sculpt it on a model beforehand

to achieve a look as similar as possible

to the corresponding tooth on the opposite side.

Both temporary teeth and final prostheses

are made following this blueprint.

However, since I've already discussed

the aspects of shape sufficiently in previous posts,

today I will focus on color.

Color is Accurately Captured
 

To match the color well, it's essential to accurately record the reference color first.

The process of capturing tooth color in the patient's mouth

is called shade taking.

The tooth surface is smooth, causing light to reflect brightly.

This reflection can make the tooth color in photos appear different from reality.

Therefore, we use a polarizing filter

to eliminate surface reflections

and photograph the tooth's inherent color.

With the photos obtained this way, we confirm the color

using L·a·b values, which are three numbers

representing brightness and chroma.

This ensures that the color captured is based on

objective criteria, not guesswork,

and is then communicated to the dental laboratory.

We Create a Model That Replicates the Oral Cavity
 

Once the color is accurately captured, the next step is to create a Digital Try-in model.

(What Digital Try-in is will be explained immediately after this.)

We create a model identical to the patient's mouth, including the surrounding teeth,

and produce the crown's post in a color as close to the actual tooth as possible.

This is because ceramic crowns are made of a material that allows light to pass through slightly, so they are affected by the color of the underlying and adjacent areas.

Now, with the completed prosthesis fitted onto the model, we take photos under the same conditions as the patient's mouth.

Then, we cut out the prosthesis photo on the computer and paste it onto the patient's intraoral photo.

This allows us to pre-evaluate how well the prosthesis will blend with the surrounding teeth in the actual mouth.

We call this process Digital Try-in.

It's similar to holding paint samples against an actual wall to choose a color before painting the entire wall.

For your information, Kim Byung-hee, the head of our dental laboratory at Seoul Yido Dental Clinic, is a veteran specialist who has given numerous lectures

on the topic of Digital Try-in.

Can't we just try it on?
 

That's right. If we just try it on, the process becomes simpler.

However, if the color doesn't match when first checked in the mouth, it has to be sent back to the lab,

and the patient would have to visit again.

Digital Try-in allows us to greet the patient with a prosthesis that has been thoroughly matched in the lab before the patient arrives,

making their dental visit more comfortable.

If you place the model next to the actual tooth and photograph them side-by-side, you can see the difference at a glance.

Results confirmed in the mouth
 

Prostheses crafted with such care often exhibit

a color very similar to the surrounding teeth when placed in the mouth.

Let's review the process I've described today:

✓ Form design with diagnostic wax-up

✓ Pre-treatment shade taking

✓ Polarized filter photos and L·a·b value confirmation

✓ Production of a try-in model replicating the mouth

✓ Color comparison with composite photos

✓ Final confirmation in the mouth

A single anterior crown goes through this many steps.

And I convey to the dental laboratory

✓ specific concerns of the patient

✓ the extent visible when smiling

✓ notes on the translucency and subtle patterns of adjacent teeth

along with these details.

When the try-in photos arrive, the head of the lab and I review them one by one and exchange opinions.

Of course, sometimes the color doesn't match on the first try.

In such cases, we readjust the surface texture and translucency and check again.

As I repeatedly emphasize, even a very small difference in anterior teeth

can reveal that a crown has been placed.

I also believe that these processes are absolutely essential to avoid that.

Therefore, Seoul Yido Dental Clinic places more importance on whether a prosthesis can blend naturally, like the original tooth,

rather than simply completing it.

This is also why we meticulously check each aspect: form, color, translucency, and surface texture.

Even if it requires a little more effort and additional verification steps,

the goal is that when a patient looks in the mirror, the treated tooth doesn't stand out first.

This is what we consider important when creating anterior prostheses.

I'd like to conclude today's article here.

Thank you for always reading, and I hope this has been helpful to those who are experiencing stress

due to awkward crowns or prostheses.

This has been Jihyun Park, a prosthodontist at Seoul Yido Dental Clinic.

Guidance on Aesthetic Anterior Prosthesis Production Using Digital Try-in →

Thank you.