Black Line Removal

Many times, new patients will come to us with concerns about dark lines around the edges of their existing porcelain crowns, or stains in the area where their veneers meet their gumline. These discolourations should not happen if the proper procedures and high quality materials were utilized at the onset.

There are two reasons why these dark lines may appear:

1) The use of porcelain materials containing metal

Traditionally, porcelain crowns have been fabricated with a silver-coloured metal base, and some labs use an even less expensive non-precious metal base such as tin. We refer to that as a porcelain-fused-to-metal or porcelain-bonded-to-metal(PFM or PBM) crown.  Crowns are made in a way that as the porcelain reaches the gumline, it gets thinner and thinner such that the metal base may show through. This metal base becomes more obvious as your gumline recedes over time and years of use. These metals can also leach out their components and inflame the gum margins causing them to turn bluish in appearance.

2) Porcelain crowns that don't fit well

If porcelain crowns are not fitted properly or sealed well, there is the likelihood of accumulation of staining at the tooth's edges. This not only creates the dark lines, but it can actually damage the underlying tooth by trapping bacteria and plaque and starting the process of tooth decay.

We, at Dentistry at Vitality Health, use only materials and implement procedures that never allow these situations to develop. We use only the best porcelain available - never metal-based materials. Furthermore, we bond the porcelain to the teeth, rather than cement it, to give the porcelain added strength and avoid the possibility of fractures. We take extra precautions to ensure that the porcelain crowns and veneers create an almost seemless finish against the tooth to minimize staining at the margins and prevent any leakage underneath the crown or veneer.

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