The Challenge of a Discolored Tooth Stump

By LMT Communications, Inc.

Posted Jan 13, 2015 in Technical

By Renato Carretti


A patient who was approximately 45 years old presented with a devitalized tooth #10 with dark discolorations (see Figure 1). This was a classic case for a metal-ceramic restoration because the discolored tooth stump would show through an all-ceramic restoration and make the crown look grey.


With this VM 13 crown, the goal was to reproduce numerous small enamel cracks, mamelons and decalcification marks like those of the adjacent tooth #9 (see Figure 2). After the first firing, Interno 1 (white smoke) was inlaid for the small enamel cracks; Interno 2 (sand) was used to emphasize the mamelons. Akzent 17 (Niagara) was applied to emphasize the bluish glaze at the incisal edges; a glaze firing was performed.


A dark shadow below the gingiva was visible in the provisional restoration (see Figure 3) and still remained after seating the crown (see Figure 4). In this particular case, this unavoidable situation was probably...

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  • LMT Communications, Inc.

    LMT Communications delivers the business strategies, information, dental laboratory news and education that dental laboratory decision-makers need to succeed. In Print. In Person. Online.

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