The Challenge of Implant Crown Shade Matching
Some shade matches are more demanding than others, and this was one of them.
A local practice called to book one of their implant patients in for a personal implant crown shade consultation at the laboratory, ahead of her new implant-supported crown.
The patient already had two implant-supported crowns on the opposite side of her upper arch. She was keen for the new crown to match both those and her natural teeth.
To complicate things further, she had bleached her natural teeth. Bleached teeth don't reflect light the way natural, unbleached teeth do. They tend to look brighter and more opaque, which creates a whole new shade range that standard shade guides don't always cover. Matching a ceramic crown to them takes careful observation, not just picking the nearest tab.
Choosing and checking the shade
We started with the Ivoclar Vivadent A–D + Bleach shade guide to find the nearest shades. We held the chosen tabs in a Shofu “Gummy” pink holder for two reasons:
- It masks the shiny, reflective metal of the shade tab holders, which can distract the eye and skew the reading.
- It mimics the contrast between the tooth and the gingiva, so the shade is judged as it will really be seen in the mouth.
A shade tab is only a starting point. The technician then mapped the shade as seen by eye, recording the subtle variations in value, translucency and characterisation across the tooth that a single tab can’t capture.
This individual shade mapping is an important part of dental implant shade matching, particularly when an existing restoration and bleached natural teeth both need to be considered.
The finished restoration
The final restoration is a screwmentable crown: zirconia bonded to a titanium abutment, combining the retrievability of a screw-retained crown with the aesthetics of a cemented one. Before it left the laboratory, we checked it against the chosen shade tab.
Finally, the crown was seated on the 3D printed model. It sits slightly clear of the occlusion, as is usual for implant crowns, and the view with the lower arch shows how it harmonises with the natural arch form of her smile.
Why it matters
When a patient has bleached teeth and existing crowns to match, a shade taken from a photograph alone is rarely enough. Seeing the patient in person lets us capture what the camera misses, and gives the clinician and patient the confidence that the final crown will blend in on the first fit.
A personal implant crown shade consultation allows us to assess the patient's existing restorations and natural teeth directly, helping us plan the new crown with greater attention to detail.
“Have an implant case where matching existing crowns or bleached natural teeth is important? Contact our laboratory to discuss a personal shade consultation and how we can support your case.”
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