One way to tell if a dentist is really passionate about appearance-related dentistry is what kind of crowns they prefer. Dental schools teach doing porcelain fused to metal crowns. But all-porcelain crowns are so much more beautiful and natural-looking, dentists who are passionate about doing beautiful dentistry will be opposed to using porcelain fused to metal crowns for front teeth.

The following pictures of Leann show the differences between porcelain fused to metal crowns and all-porcelain crowns. This work was done by Dr. Sam Sadati, a mynewsmile.com network dentist in West Palm Beach, Florida. Click here to learn about this Florida Cosmetic Dentist.

Here is another case that was re-done by Dr. Hugh Flax, one of our recommended cosmetic dentists in Atlanta, Georgia.

Karen had spaces between her front teeth, and had four crowns done on her upper front teeth when she was a teenager. She didn't like the color and shape, so when she was older, she went to a "cosmetic dentist" to have it done more attractively. She was extremely unhappy with the result. We were told she felt "very upset and disfigured; she felt ripped off."

She then went to Dr. Flax to have him re-do the work. The results speak for themselves. When it was completed, Karen was ecstatic that she now had the smile she had always wanted.

Before pictures	After pictures
These are the porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns that Karen had done by a dentist she thought was a cosmetic dentist. There is no darkness showing at the gumline here, because the margins of the crowns are under the gums. But the trade-off is that the gums are very inflamed. They are red, puffy, and asymmetrical.   You can also see that the tooth bonding this "cosmetic dentist" did on her canines has stained and deteriorated, and it's only two years old.	Karen's results show the skill and artistry of Dr. Flax. He contoured the gums, placed beautiful all-porcelain crowns on the front four teeth, and did porcelain veneers on the canine teeth and her first premolars.   For more information on Dr. Flax, please see our Georgia cosmetic dentists page.

Even though all ceramic is the only crown I recommend for front teeth, I do not recommend asking your dentist to do this kind of crown unless the dentist has suggested it as an option. All porcelain crowns generally require special bonding techniques that are unfamiliar to many dentists, and we have heard many unfortunate stories of dentists who thought they could meet the expectations of their patients who requested special cosmetic techniques, but they didn't know how to do them properly. Click here to read more about why some dentists prefer placing porcelain fused to metal crowns.

Related information:

•  You may want to check our general page about dental crowns to learn about that.
•  Some dentists are proposing placing Lumineers over old crowns rather than replacing them. Dr. Hall explains why this is a bad idea.
•  Chanelle asks about a chipped crown. Dr. Hall explains that this chipped crown can be fixed, using special bonding agents and opaquers.
• Various types of all-ceramic or all-porcelain crowns are discussed.
•  Comparing porcelain crowns and gold crowns.
•  Discussing the costs of porcelain crowns.
•  Patients can sometimes have a metal allergy, and need to be careful what alloys are used in their mouths.

Click here for referral to an expert cosmetic dentist.