After 2 years of painful and irritated gums, my dentist agreed that the fit on my crown and veneer (front two top teeth) was not correct and replaced them free of charge.

The process was painful (2 injections high up at the front of my mouth) and now that the work is finished I'm disappointed because the porcelain crown and veneer are grey compared to my other front teeth.:(

I'm reluctant to go through the whole painful process again especially because my dentist is quite abrupt, and also because I got the replacements done free.

Can crowns be re-coloured without removing them?

Hi,
Ever tried Nitrous Oxide gas? I use to have it, through my nose, 50-50 mix of Nitrous and Oxygen. I had to pay for it, cause it wasn't covered by my insurance; about $30, but well, well worth it. A tornado could come through the dentist office when under, and I wouldn't have cared! It's that good. It relaxes the tooth and gum nerves. I have had root canals, with no pain.
But, now at 64, have dentures.
I don't know any way to change the color. Did you pick out the color or did the dentist?
If the dentist picked out the color, he/she should re-do it. But, Ask about Nitrous. If he/she doesn't use it, then find one who does. It's that good about having no pain.
I do wish you the best.

Thanks fredg.
The dentist picked the colour without asking my opinion. I don't know if Nitrous Oxide is used in dentists here the UK, but I will ask.
Thanks again for advice & good wishes

The good doctor is "abrupt?"
Then I suggest you go to another for the correction.
Better to pay than to be treated badly. Sometimes a dentist might do some work seemingly for free but has in mind making more money somewhere down the line in one way or another. Ask him if the color correction will cost you anything. If he says yes! Bingo!

BTW
Here are some tips on treating dentists.

1. Always call them doctor.

2. If he is or you believe him to be a foreigner, don't ask where he is from or mention anything in reference to his accent or appearance. It might be a compliment but he will feel foreign and that could mean a more intense drilling. Treat him as if he were just a regular citizen.

3. Don't complain about other dentists-this somehow is taken personally.

4. Don't chat with his assistants or his secretaries-it might be interpreted as making a move and he or she might see it as a threat to his or her plans.

5. Always arrive early, otherwise he might feel rushed and botch up the work as a lesson to you or simply because he is rushing.

6. Don't strike up loud conversations with fellow patients in the waiting room.
He might find your voice annoying or else consider it disrespectful. Some offices are very small and the voice carries.


7. Don't compliment a female doctor about her looks. She might take it as condescension from a male chauvinist pig.

9. Brush and floss thoroughly before going to the dentist. You don't want him to be flinching from the fumes while drilling. It doesn't make for accuracy and he might decide to get rid of you via pain so that he doesn't have to go through the ordeal again.



There are more but those are the ones that come readily to mind.

I hate to tell you, but with 22 years of dental experience, I can tell you that you cannot replace porcelain without removing the crowns. Porcelain is baked on to the metal substructure, and the porcelain comes in different shades. It is not unheard of though to remove the crowns without damage to the porcelain, if the dentist takes his time and considering what cement or bonding agent he used, but they could be reshaded that way.