Hope Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry

Archives for September 2021

Will a root canal lighten my gray tooth?

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Man with glasses smiling for info on whitening a gray tooth - from Tulsa, OK dentist Dr. Jerome ChaAbout five years ago, I fell while running a marathon and hit my face. My left front tooth is turning dark, and my dentist referred me to an endodontist for a root canal. The tooth does not hurt. I’m wondering why my dentist did the referral instead of bleaching my teeth. Will my tooth get lighter after a root canal? Thank you. Milton from Ohio

Milton,

Thank you for contacting our office.

When a Tooth Turns Gray

If a tooth turns gray, the nerve inside is likely dead. Unless the tooth is dead or infected, you do not need root canal treatment.

Will Root Canal Treatment Lighten a Tooth?

Root canal treatment will not lighten a tooth. Unless a dentist cleans out root canal filling material and cement from the portion of a tooth above the gumline, the tooth will darken. Some endodontists use the GentleWave system for root canals. The system uses sodium hypochlorite to dissolve soft tissue inside a tooth. Although sodium hypochlorite can whiten a tooth somewhat, it does not stay inside the tooth long enough to bleach it.

Your dentist can internally bleach your tooth after verifying that root canal treatment was successful. Sealing bleaching gel inside the tooth can correct the color. If bleaching is successful, a cosmetic dentist can insert a flexible fiberglass post in the tooth and fill it with dental composite. Otherwise, a dentist can restore the shade with a porcelain veneer, which requires removing less tooth structure than a dental crown.

We recommend scheduling an appointment with an advanced cosmetic dentist to examine your gray tooth and discuss your options for whitening it.

Dr. Jerome Cha, a Tulsa, OK accredited cosmetic dentist, sponsors this post.

My Dentist Nicked My Maryland Bridge and Left a Silver Line Showing

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My Maryland bridge is 15 years old, but until recently, it was intact. I agreed with my dentist to replace two crowns on the top left side of my mouth. I grind my teeth, so the crowns were worn and looked rugged. I got new crowns three weeks ago, and when I got home, I noticed a silver line showing through the bridge tooth. My dentist covered the silver line with composite and said that I should probably get the bridge replaced. He did agree that he might have nicked the bridge tooth while adjusting my bite, but he also said that my teeth grinding more likely caused the streak. How could teeth grinding cause a line? Today, I see the silver line again on the bridge tooth. So, I probably will get it replaced. What’s the point of having two new crowns with another damaged tooth flashing a silver streak? I’m wondering if my dentist should pay for this, though. Should I ask? Thank you. Wesley from Andover, MD

 

Maryland Bridge replacing two lower teeth - info from Tulsa, OK dentist Jerome Cha, DDS

Dental Maryland Bridge

For our readers: A Maryland bridge is a type of tooth replacement. Replacement teeth are in the center, and wings, or extensions, on each end of the bridge attach to the back of adjacent teeth. See the photo on this page.

Wesley,

Thank you for choosing our office for your question.

Dr. Cha would need to examine your Maryland bridge to see its condition. But you realize that your bridge tooth did not have a silver line before your dentist replaced your crowns and adjusted your bite. So yes, you should ask your dentist to restore or replace the bridge tooth at no charge.

Asking Your Dentist to Pay for Your Damaged Crown

You can ask your dentist to pay for the bridge tooth directly, but you may want to prepare an explanation. We suggest finding an experienced cosmetic dentist to examine your Maryland bridge. The dentist who examines it can do the following:

  • Tell if teeth grinding caused the streak on the bridge tooth
  • Determine if a dental instrument scratched the surface
  • Give you documentation on the cause of damage to the surface

You can return to your dentist with the second opinion document and ask for a refund or if he will pay for getting your bridge restored or replaced.

Restoring a Crown without Replacing the Maryland Bridge

Perhaps a highly skilled cosmetic dentist can conceal the damage to the tooth of the bridge without replacing the entire bridge. One method includes these steps:

  • Grind some of the metal to make room for dental bonding cement
  • Etch the metal with a micro-etcher
  • Prime the metal with a thin layer of opaque cement that bonds to metal
  • Cure the cement
  • Place composite over the cement
  • Shape and polish the composite

Patient cases differ, so an advanced cosmetic dentist will need to examine your bridge and determine if they can save it.

Schedule an appointment with an accredited cosmetic dentist or one with extensive post-graduate training in cosmetic dentistry.

Dr. Jerome Cha, a Tulsa, OK accredited cosmetic dentist, sponsors this post.

 

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