Question:
Is there any way to make PFM crowns less shiny once they're on so they don't
stand out so much from natural teeth? I read somewhere that a dentist can
burnish (???) gold crowns so they don't shine so much, but what about PFMs? If
not, can a PFM crown be fabricated to not be too shiny?
Answer:
Yes there is a way.
Basically your dentist can "roughen" up the surface a bit to remove some of
the surface glaze.
The problem with this is if there was any surface staining used to correct
or match the shade the colour of your PFM crown could be altered.
A PFM crown can be fabricated so it does not appear "too shiny".
So is the general effect of this to make the PFMs less noticeable, thereby
allowing them to blend in and not stand out as fake?. If the color is altered
by the surface being roughened, would it be a severe difference?
I hate to answer a question with a question, but I need more info to give
you a more correct definitive answer.
Is the texture of the crown similar to the adjacent teeth? Natural teeth
tend to have a lot of small grooves and ridges on the surface much like a
small lake on a slightly windy day. A crown with little or no grooves and
ridges will look much more shiny. Adjusting for this will more likely affect
the colour if a lot of surface colours or stains were used to match your
shade.
OTOH if the degree of texture is similar, the amount of glaze or sheen is
the culprit. Compare your crown to your teeth using wall paint as an
example. Is the Crown more like "high gloss" and your teeth "flat" or
"eggshell"? Adjusting for this is less likely to alter the shade. A little
"diamond polishing paste" in a slow speed prophy cup might be all that is
needed to dull down your shiny crown.
The difficulty in answering your question is based on how the crown was
made. If the majority of colours were created internally in layers to match
your teeth, altering the surface would have less of an effect on the colour.
If the colours were matched with a lot of stains on the surface then you
will more likely see a colour change with altering the surface.
Only your Dentist's Ceramist knows for sure, unless of course the final
stain and glaze were done in office ( somewhat of a rarity these days).
