Why do my old crowns look fake?

Older porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are opaque, block light like real enamel doesn't, and often show a dark line at the gum as gums naturally recede. Modern all-ceramic crowns transmit light like natural teeth.

Do old crowns and veneers have to be replaced?

Not always. If the fit is sound and only aesthetics bother you, replacement is elective. If margins are leaking or decay is present underneath, replacement becomes a health issue, not just a cosmetic one.

What does replacing old crowns cost?

Comparable to new cosmetic crowns or veneers — typically $1,800–$3,000 per tooth in Central Florida, depending on materials and what's found underneath the old work.

Replace Old Dental Work · Orlando & Clermont, FL

Retire the dentistry that gives you away.

The flat, opaque crown. The dark line at the gum. The veneer that never quite matched. Dentistry from the ’90s and 2000s was good for its era — but materials have changed, and so has what’s possible. This is one of our most common and most satisfying cases.

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Why old work looks like old work

Older porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns block light the way real enamel never does — teeth are slightly translucent, and metal-backed porcelain isn’t. Add natural gum recession exposing a dark metal margin, plus shades matched to teeth that have since aged, and you get restorations that announce themselves in every photo. Modern all-ceramic materials transmit light like enamel, and margins are designed to stay invisible.

Replacement makes sense if…

Old crowns or veneers look flat, dark, or mismatched
A dark line has appeared at your gumline
Margins are leaking or decay is present underneath (now it’s a health issue)
You’re whitening or redesigning your smile and old work won’t match

It doesn’t (yet) if…

The work is sound and genuinely doesn’t bother you — we don’t replace dentistry to hit quotas
Gum inflammation needs treatment first so new margins are placed on healthy tissue
Underlying tooth structure needs evaluation — occasionally a tooth needs more than a new crown, and you deserve to know before we start

Process: evaluate old work and what’s beneath (X-rays) → design replacements as part of your whole smile, not one-off patches → remove, address anything found, place refined temporaries → deliver layered ceramic finals. Timeline: typically 2–4 visits over 3–6 weeks. Cost: typically $1,800–$3,000 per tooth; what’s under the old work can affect scope — we’ll tell you before, not after. See Cost & Financing.

Questions about replacing old work

Do old crowns have to be replaced?

Not automatically. Sound work with cosmetic complaints = elective. Leaking margins or decay underneath = health issue. An exam and X-rays tell us which one you have.

Will new crowns match my other teeth?

Yes — that’s the design job: shade, translucency, and texture matched to your natural teeth, often after whitening sets the target.

Can you replace just one tooth?

Absolutely. Single-tooth matching is among the hardest work in cosmetic dentistry, and it’s work we take pride in.

Real Patient Result

The hardest match in dentistry: one tooth.

Before: single dark front tooth with old dental work, Clermont FL — Before

After: front tooth restored to blend invisibly with natural teeth, Clermont FL — After

A single dark front tooth, restored so it can’t be picked out of the smile. Individual results vary.

Your dental work should be a secret.

Start Your Smile Assessment Schedule a Cosmetic Consultation