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Planning and Preparing for Dental Procedures: Your Questions Answered

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Planning and Preparing for Dental Procedures: Your Questions Answered

Making decisions about your smile can be confusing. Should you have a tooth pulled or get a root canal? Should you get adult braces or stick with a retainer? Should you use at-home whitening remedies or have your teeth professionally whitened? If questions like these are keeping you up at night, you've come to the right place. I used to stress out over routine dental procedures, and as a result, I did loads of research on everything dental-related. To help others, I'm using this blog as a place to collect, review and share what I've learned through the years. I hope you can use the information here to help you plan and prepare for your next dental appointment.

How to Fix Dark Lines Around Crowns and Implants: Dermal Fillers

21 November 2016
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

If you've used a crown, implant or bridge to fill a gap or replace a damaged tooth, then you may notice that the appearance of your false tooth changes over time. Typically this isn't a problem with the tooth itself but is a by-product of gum recession. If your gums recede away from your false tooth over a period of years, you may be left with an unsightly dark line between the gum and the tooth, which can significantly affect your smile confidence.

This kind of problem used to be tricky to treat, and your only option would be to have the false tooth replaced and a new one fitted. Now your dentist may have another option: They may recommend that your gums go through a dermal filler treatment.

How Do Dermal Fillers Work on Your Gums?

Dermal fillers used in dentistry work like other facial fillers treatment you may be familiar with. These products help boost and plump up areas of tissue. So while a facial filler will fill in the lines and wrinkles of skin for a smoother look, a dental dermal filler will have the same effect on your gums. If you can make a receding gum fill itself out a little and look plumper with this injection, this may cover over the dark line you currently have between the tooth and your gum without the need to replace your existing false tooth. Keep in mind that there are naturally-derived dermal fillers as well as those that are completely synthetic.

Will Dermal Fillers Solve Your Dark Line Problem?

While dermal fillers can help some people get rid of dark lines around their gum lines, this may not be the best solution for everyone. Fillers are not typically a permanent fix and you may prefer to have a new crown or implant fitted rather than have repeated filler treatments. Also, fillers may not have the desired effects on deeper dark pockets around your teeth.

To find out if dermal fillers might fix the dark lines around your false teeth, your first step should be to consult your dentist. Bear in mind that not all dentists are trained in dermal filler treatments. If your dentist doesn't currently offer this kind of treatment and can't give you the advice you need, they may be able to recommend a practice and specialist who does dermal filler work so that you can get the a proper consultation before exploring other options.