Why is there a black line under my crown?

Today, our orthodontic patient told us that her friend's front tooth has a black line at the gums, just like in the picture. She asked if anything could be done for her friend.

The black margin occurs, usually as a result of the use of non-precious metals in the crown. These crowns are cheap but by the very nature of the metal, they show a black margin under the gums.

This issue can be addressed by using dental gold for the metal base in the porcelain fused to metal crowns as gold does not corrode. However, we all know that gold is costlier and thus the crown would not be cheap.

Another alternative is the all ceramic crown. These crowns are ideal for the aesthetics of the front teeth. They look very natural and they address the black margin issue better than other options. Again, this option would cost more than the non-precious metal crowns.

If you have the black margin problem under your crown and you would like to correct it, call our office today to get a consult with one of our specialist prosthodontists.