First let me start by saying I absolutely love how I look with my new crowns. They make my smile so much more beautiful. The only problem I have is that it feels sort of gritty when my tongue touches them and it is driving me crazy. I’m used to the smoothness of my natural teeth. Is there anything I can do about this?
Gina L.- Wisconsin
Gina,
If your dentist put a glaze on your crowns, as he should have, there should not be that gritty feeling you’re describing. Porcelain crowns have a final layer baked on them that is a clear glaze and gives them a glass like finish that should feel as smooth as your natural teeth. One way to tell if this was done to your porcelain crowns is to dry the crown and try to write on it with a pencil. If you can leave a mark on your tooth, it did not get the final glaze.
Unfortunately it is too late to glaze it if that step was neglected once it has been placed. However, there are superfine diamond polishing products that can be used to make your crowns both feel and look as if they’ve been glazed. I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by New Jersey cosmetic dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley.