Some cavities are easy to spot. They often develop on the chewing surfaces of teeth and appear black, gray, and or even dark brown. You may even recognize it before your dentist does! However, other cavities can be tricky to identify on your own, specifically when they occur between your teeth.

With such tight spaces, how can you tell that you have a cavity between your teeth? Usually one of the following three signs happens.

Children learn colors at a very young age, but as you get older, you realize that it’s not always as simple as it seems. When your dentist needs to place a crown on one of your teeth, for example, they have to select the shade between yellow and off-white for the prosthetic. If they choose the wrong one, the crown will stand out and attract the wrong kind of attention.

With such a narrow range of color, how does your dentist determine the exact shade your crown should be? How can they make sure your restoration closely resembles your natural teeth? Keep reading to learn how they do it!