Sillim Dental Clinic: Crowded Front Teeth That Shifted Again and an Old PFM Crown, Zirconia Esthetic Prosthetic Treatment After Re-orthodontic Correction

Sillim Dental Clinic, I’m Director Park Jeong-gi of Seoul Remember.

A well-aligned set of teeth

is important not only for an attractive appearance,

but also for oral health and function.

If you had orthodontic treatment in the past, but over time your teeth became misaligned again, or discomfort develops because of old prosthetic work, what would you do?

In particular, if these problems appear in the front teeth, they can lower your confidence and affect daily life, so they can become a bigger concern.

The case shown today at Sillim Dental Clinic involved several complex issues.

2024.02.03

First,

a long-standing PFM crown

(Porcelain Fused to Metal Crown)

A PFM crown is

a type in which porcelain is layered over metal,

and it was a widely used restorative material in the past.

However, as time passes,

the metal frame may show through near the gum line, making it appear dark, or

gum recession may occur, leading to the

"Black Line" phenomenon, which undermines aesthetics.

As a result, the cosmetic quality drops significantly. Second,

the teeth had become crooked again. Many people think that once orthodontic treatment is done, it lasts a lifetime, but the reality is not like that.

2024.02.03

In this case as well,

a fixed retainer was attached to the lingual side of the maxillary anterior teeth, which is also evidence that orthodontic treatment had been done in the past.

A retainer plays an important role in preventing the teeth from returning to their original positions,

but over time, the resin bonding the retainer weakens, so it no longer functions properly, and the teeth were judged to have shifted again.

Also, because the left upper central incisor had a PFM restoration, the bond strength in that area was likely even lower. At Sillim Dental Clinic,

to fundamentally resolve these issues, we decided to proceed with new crowns after re-orthodontic correction, with the goals of restoring aesthetics and improving the overall alignment of the teeth.

When something is done, it should be done properly so that you can be satisfied with the result for a long time. I’ll explain while showing the treatment outcome right away.

2025.09.16

By making only small improvements to the directions of the slightly misaligned teeth,

the dental arch became much smoother and more naturally curved than before,

and by evening out the alignment, issues such as food getting trapped between teeth and plaque buildup were also likely reduced.

In addition, at Sillim Dental Clinic,

the existing PFM crown was removed and replaced with a zirconia crown,

and zirconia is made from a very strong ceramic material and is an excellent prosthetic material that can satisfy both aesthetics and function.

Because it can reproduce translucency and color tones similar to natural teeth, it looks much better,

and since the area down to the gum line is made of a single ceramic material, there is no need to worry about a black line.

It is also highly durable, so it can be used stably for a long period.

A particularly noteworthy change is the retainer

On smooth prosthetic surfaces such as zirconia, even if a retainer is attached, it tends to come off quickly and retention is poor.

So instead of insisting on a fixed retainer, Sillim Dental Clinic decided to change to a removable appliance that can be taken in and out,

which can simply be worn while sleeping at night, allowing the teeth to be maintained without any inconvenience in daily life.

2025.09.16

Looking at the completed treatment,

the upper teeth naturally cover about one-third of the lower teeth, showing an ideal bite,

and the protruding and crooked alignment has also been improved evenly and beautifully.

Most importantly, by replacing the front prosthetic restoration with highly aesthetic zirconia,

the previously dark-looking cervical line now blends naturally with the tooth color.

It’s so pretty that it’s hard to tell which one is the crown, right? Of course, that’s not the end.

As we always emphasize at Sillim Dental Clinic, from now on, regular checkups are needed to assess oral hygiene and the stability of the prosthetic work so that it can be used comfortably for a long time.

If treatment is needed for aesthetic reasons rather than cavities or periodontal disease,

and especially if you have had the same treatment before, you may find yourself worrying a lot about doing it again.

However, the more reason there is, the more you should receive retreatment from a place that does it properly,

and please proceed at a clinic with abundant experience and expertise in related procedures.

I hope today’s explanation was helpful, and I’ll end here.

Thank you for reading. I was Director Park Jeong-gi of Seoul Remember Dental Clinic in Sillim.

Treatment period: 2024.02.03 ~ 2025.09.16