Ugly Gum Recession Around New Crown

Q: I just had a new crown placed and when I got home I noticed that the edges are nowhere near my gum line, yet the temporary that I wore for three weeks looked great. What gives!?

A: My old dental prof, Dr. Woolhouse of Montreal used to say: “don’t make the temporaries too nice; the patients won’t come back for the final crown!”

Well, you can’t just go on forever with a plastic temporary crown. The tooth will eventually disintegrate underneath leading to its removal and significant costs for its replacement.

Very often impression techniques that use the goopy molds, result in shrinkage and recession of the gingiva while you are waiting for the permanent porcelain crown. Often the culprit is the placement of thick threads soaked in medications, called retraction cords, which are designed to push the gums out of the way to allow for the goop to flow around the tooth like a mote around a castle.

Solution? Dump the retraction cords, use a laser to create the “mote” and take digital impressions with iTero vs. the trays of goop. The gum will be in the same place as it was the first day when you get your new crown.