How can I fix darkened gums after a root canal and after getting a porcelain crown?

Question

i am 22, i got a root canal done when i was much younger on one of my front tooth. After many years my dentist told me i would have to get a crown on that tooth because the tooth was dead and would turn a darker color. Even after getting an all porcelain crown my gums have still turned a noticeably darker color. I have read on internal bleaching, but is that only for natural teeth? How can i lighten my gums even after having an all porcelain crown? Do i have any options to fix this?

Lance Timmerman, DMD, MAGD · Answer

Since the chemicals to bleach teeth from the inside out (internal bleaching or walking bleach) is EXTREMELY strong, if not done correctly the tooth will fail and be lost (need extraction).  It only treats the crown part of the tooth (the part above the gums) and not the root, so if the discoloration is from the root, there is no way to change it.  Gums can be lighted a LITTLE, but not dramatically (unless there is pigment/melanin).  Changing the color of the crown is easy (a porcelain veneer or crown) but the rest of the tooth is less predictable.The enemy of good is great; striving for "perfect" may ultimately lead to frustration.

Elizabeth Reiser-Loeber, DMD · Answer

See a periodontist that can do gingival lightening. It is a type of bleaching technique for your gums. Internal bleaching is for the tooth portion only, not the gums and I typically don't recommend it as crowns can easily change the tooth color.

How can I fix darkened gums after a root canal and after getting a porcelain crown?

Answers (2)