Inflammation of the gums!
The gums recede and easily start bleeding during brushing. This is often due to loose dental crowns.
There are various different methods to prepare a tooth for a crown.
The easiest and quickest method is the tangent cut (first picture). In the upper right corner you can see the sanding edges outlined in yellow. The problem with this cutting method is that the edges of the crown taper off to a very thin edge. The ceramic part can break off (red arrow).
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To prevent this from happening, the dental technician leaves more space at the edge of the crown (second picture), leading to unsightly bulges at the edges (blue circles). To hide these edges from the patient, the tooth is cut so that the edges end up under the gums.
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Click to see a video on tangent cuts!
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All this leads to bleeding gums, and gums which inflame easily – sometimes a gum pocket may develop, and a gum fistula. In the third picture you can clearly see a livid edge to the upper right incisor (red arrow). This develops due to the tangent cut of the crown, when bits of food accumulate around the protruding edge, they provide a good breeding ground for bacteria, which in turn cause inflammation of the gums. This then causes the gums to recede.
Healthy gums do not bleed!
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On the left in the picture you can see the pale pink gums hugging the tooth tightly (green arrow). This is what healthy gums look like: if a concave cut is made into the tooth – known as a groove cut (fourth picture), then nothing sticks out, since the dental technician has enough space for the ceramic part.
Bits of food cannot get stuck, since nothing sticks out beyond the edge of the tooth – so there is no risk of inflammation! Check your gums after getting a crown, if they are red and start bleeding easily, then there is something wrong with the crown!
Find out more about dental crowns here!
