I have a tooth which has always bugged me a bit. Now it’s turned gray. Can I get teeth whitening to fix it? It’s a bit embarrassing when I smile.
Joyce B.
Dear Joyce,
A gray tooth means it’s either dead or dying. Unfortunately, teeth whitening won’t help in a situation like this. Instead, what you’ll need is a root canal treatment and porcelain crown. The fact that it had been giving you trouble makes me think you’ve had some infected pulp.
Because you mentioned it’s embarrassing when you smile, makes me think it’s a very visible tooth. Make sure you go to a skilled cosmetic dentist to get your porcelain crown done. You want to make sure it looks natural and blends in with your other teeth well.
Where teeth whitening could come in handy is with your remaining teeth. If you’re interested in brightening them do so before you have your dental crown made. This way when your dentist makes the crown, the color can be made to match your new whiter teeth.
Choosing Your Cosmetic Dentist
Your dentist may be a wonderful cosmetic dentist. If so, stick with him. However, if you know he’s not you’ll want to at least have the crown done elsewhere. Your dentist will be fine to do the root canal treatment.
There is a great source to find an artistic cosmetic dentist who could provide a beautiful crown for you. I’d look on the mynewsmile.com website. They screen cosmetic dentists. Any dentist who wants to be listed has to provide proof of their cosmetic training, technical knowledge, as well as their artistic ability by providing images of a number of cases they’ve done.
This blog is brought to you by Des Moines Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Phelan Thomas.
