I have a tooth which is turning gray at the moment. I’ve tried teeth whitening strips. They’re whitening my other teeth but not the gray one. I tried just cutting the strip to fit that tooth but it’s not making a difference. Would getting it bleached by a dentist help?

Melody

Dear Melody,

A gray tooth means that the tooth is either dead or dying. Is it possible you’ve had some trauma to that tooth recently? That would explain the tooth turning gray. Bleaching your teeth isn’t going to fix the color. Not even professional teeth whitening.

What you’ll need to do instead is get a root canal treatment and dental crown. The dental crown is to protect your tooth. They often become brittle after a root canal.

I’m guessing the tooth is visible or you wouldn’t be worried about whitening it. Because of that, make sure your dentist gives you an all-porcelain crown. These are much more natural and beautiful looking when done by a skilled cosmetic dentist.

Why Whiten Your Teeth Before Getting a Crown?

When your dental crown is created, the color it’s made with is permanent. If you decide to whiten your teeth later, your teeth will still whiten, but the crown will not. It stays the same color. To get them to match you’ll have to change the color.

If you’re happy with the whitening you received from your whitening strips, you can stick with that and match your crown to them. Otherwise, I’d recommend going ahead and seeing your dentist to whiten your teeth thoroughly before getting the crown.

Types of Professional Teeth Whitening

You can get two types of whitening through your dentist. First, is Zoom Whitening. This is super fast and can be completed in just one appointment. They will get your teeth as white as possible.

If you’re looking for whitening where you get more control over the level of whitening, then at-home whitening is a better option for you. This is different from the white strips you were using. Your dentist makes custom fitted trays, like in the picture above. They’ll provide professional strength gel for you to wear in the trays.

Once you reach the level of whitening you want, you’re done.

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Jerome Cha.