Black Line at the Gumline

Question:

I am told that dental crowns, including Procera and IPS Empress used on front teeth will eventually develop a black line near the gumline. Is this true?

—Gloria from Connecticut

Gloria,

Procera and porcelain fused to metal crowns will eventually have a gray or black line at the gumline. Empress crowns won't, because they are bonded, and because the material is translucent. Empress can be done so that it blends nicely into the tooth with an invisible margin.

With porcelain fused to metal, the line is black, very noticeable, and ugly. See the photo on the right. With Procera, depending on how it is done, it may be more like a gray line, and it will be more subtle—it won't be so noticeable.

For a porcelain crown on a front tooth, I recommend an all-porcelain crown such as feldspathic porcelain or Empress.

—Dr. Hall

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