Years ago, I had a tooth with trauma that knocked it back a bit. I had it fixed by an oral surgeon. Eventually, it turned dark. The gum is also a bit recessed. I asked my dentist about whitening my teeth. He doesn’t do the teeth whitening procedure but did recommend I get some Crest Whitestrips and said that they do whiten teeth slowly. I got a box and used it for seven days. That’s when the formally injured tooth started aching. I stopped using the whitestrips and still another week later it was still hurting. I went to see him and he ran some tests and it appears this tooth now needs a root canal treatment. Was this because I used the whitestrips?
Sandy
Dear Sandy,
Teeth Bleaching Trays
Usually Crest Whitestrips are too weak to do any damage, which is why they are available over the counter instead of through a medical professional. However, this tooth had some additional problems and the whitening gel may have thrown it over the edge.
Your dentist had a misunderstanding of how teeth whitening works. When you whiten your teeth, it whitens the teeth evenly. This tooth, which needed the root canal treatment would not have been affected. This would only make it look worse compared to your other teeth.
As you are going to get a root canal treatment, you will need a dental crown. Please don’t have this crown done by your current dentist. Teeth whitening is one of the easiest cosmetic procedures there is and he did not understand that at all. Getting a dental crown to cover a dark tooth will take a much more advanced cosmetic dentist.
Look for someone with a smile gallery and post-doctoral training in cosmetic work. Then look at the procedures on their smile gallery that are similar to your needs. When they do the crown, they should try it in with a temporary try-in past. You should be able to look at the crown in several types of lighting to make sure it matches well and you love the way it looks. If you don’t, they need to be wiling to redo it.
This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.