Crowns That Are Too White — Why They Happen and How to Avoid Them in the Next Order

Reason #1: Error in Color Specification

A0 vs. A1 vs. B0 — seemingly little difference, but in reality, a lot.

• A0 — the brightest available color, almost pure white
• A1 — bright, but with a micro-hint of yellow
• B0 — brighter than B1, but more neutral (less yellow)

If the patient has natural A3/A3.5, an A0 on them will appear "artificial white."

Problem: Dentists often choose A0/A1 out of fear that it will be too dark.

Photography for Color Matching — Natural Lighting vs. Dental Office

If the dentist only sends "A1" — without a photo — the laboratory works blind.

Good photography means:

• Natural lighting
• Patient's teeth and surroundings in one shot
• No over-exposure/blown-out highlights

Reason #2: Lack of Shading or Incorrect Shading

Even a perfectly matched color can appear "too white" if it lacks anatomical characterization.

Natural teeth have:

• Brighter incisal third
• Darker cervical margin (cervical third)
• Less translucency at the cervical margin
• Gradual transition from lightness to darkness

A crown without shading is:

• One, uniform color throughout its height
• Appears artificial — like a white block
• Does not interact with natural light organically

What should be the thickness of the shading? Shading is approximately 1-1.5 mm of cervical height in a color about 1-2 shades darker than the chosen incisal color.

Reason #3: Transparent Cement Instead of Opaque Cement

Transparent cement:

• Does not change the core color of the crown
• If the chosen color was A0 — cement will not darken it

Opaque cement:

• Changes the final color by 1-3 shades
• Ideal for correcting an overly white crown

Reason #4: Misunderstanding Material Characteristics

Zirconia Masks — Lack of Flexibility Zirconia has 0% translucency. If the dentist specifies A0 for zirconia, the crown will be white — full stop. There's no way out.

e.max Reads the Abutment — Support from Bad Color IPS e.max has 60% translucency — it reads the color of the abutment.

deltalabs. Protocol — Color Communication

Requires:

1. Precise color description (not just "A1", but "A1 with slight shading")
2. Photography in natural lighting
3. Information about cement — transparent or opaque
4. Information about the material — zirconia or e.max
5. Additional notes