I drink coffee every day, sometimes several times a day. I wanted to whiten my teeth and chose Whitestrips. They are working on every tooth except one, which for some reason seems to be picking up stains instead of getting rid of them. With the other teeth getting whiter, it has made that tooth even more noticeable. I even tried cutting the strips into pieces and then just using it on that one tooth. Not even that is helping, even leaving it in overnight. Will I need to have professional teeth whitening done for this one tooth?
Kelly
Dear Kelly,
I am sorry this has happened. The discoloration is probably because of some trauma to the tooth and now it has died. You will want to have an x-ray in order to confirm this is what has actually happened. Not even professional teeth whitening will help in that situation. Generally, for that type of injury, the tooth turns a gray color. The treatment will be a root canal treatment and then a dental crown.
Because you already have whitened your other teeth, you won’t have to worry about that. So, when it is time to place your dental crown, you can have it done to match your new, white smile.
If this is a front tooth, matching the color is a bit trickier than with back teeth. The light hits the front teeth directly which shows all the subtle varieties in the color and translucency. You need to go to an excellent cosmetic dentist to have this done. Also, make sure they use a try-in paste. You should get to see the crowns in a variety of lights to make sure you like how it looks and that it matches the color of your adjacent teeth.
Don’t be too surprised if they have to be sent back to the lab for some color adjustments. Even the best cosmetic dentists have to do front teeth more than once. Only when you are completely satisfied with the look of the crown should you allow him or her to permanently bond it on.
This blog is brought to you by West Seneca Dentist Dr. Carl Embury.