Is There a Whitening Option for a Dead Front Tooth That Does Not Need a Root Canal?

Question

I have one front tooth that is has been dead for many years (perhaps due to trauma caused by orthodontia when I was younger). It doesn't cause pain, there is no infection, and the dentist said a root canal is not necessary because the root is basically nonexistent now. But this tooth is noticeably darker than all of my other teeth, and it looks horrible. What options do I have for making this tooth match the color of my other teeth?

Lance Timmerman, DMD, MAGD · Answer

If it IS "dead" then it DOES need root canal therapy. What is likely is Calcific Metamorphosis, so no, RCT is not needed. But the tooth is dark and won't respond to bleaching.  Suggest a veneer instead of a crown. Two to three visits (matching may be a challenge, requiring an extra visit).

John Schmid, DDS, LVIF · Answer

Marley,

	Normally we would perform a root canal on the tooth and bleach it internally.  The problem is  the discoloration is coming from inside the tooth, so conventional bleaching typically does not help. Since there is no pulp chamber present you have basically 2 options.  Create a new pulp chamber space and attempt to bleach it internally.  The only other option is to mask out the discoloration with porcelain (veneer).  This options requires a skilled lab and a lot of communication between the lab and the Dr.

	In my opinion, the most predictable option would be to veneer the tooth.

	Hope this helps,

	Dr John Schmid DDS LVIF

Norman Huefner, DDS · Answer

You can try take home tray teeth bleaching trays, but just place the whitening gel in the one tooth that you are wanting to whiten.  If you place the gel in the whole tray all the teeth will get whiter, but the dark tooth will still remain darker than the others.  It may take literally months to get it whiter and no guarantee that the results will make it identical to the other teeth.

	A much more predictable approach is to do a porcelain veneer on the single tooth to match your other tooth.

	Advise consulting with a cosmetic dentist who has considerable experience with both tooth whitening and porcelain veneering.

Peter Mann, DDS · Answer

Usually we are not able to perferctly match up a darkened tooth with whitening.  Whitening may be worth trying as it can help the tooth blend in more and is the most conservative option.  To perfectly match up the tooth a porcelain crown will likely be needed.  There are a lot of bad crowns out there and it is challenging to match up the color for one tooth, but in the right hands it is possible.

Thomas Connelly, DDS - Account Suspended · Answer

If the tooth is dead and doesn't need a root canal, you may want to have a root canal anyways.  Dead teeth tend to eventually need root canals.  
With that being said, one dark tooth can really be an esthetic problem, so doing a prophylactic root canal and internal bleaching seems inevitable and advantageous.

Is There a Whitening Option for a Dead Front Tooth That Does Not Need a Root Canal?

Answers (6)

Answer: Whitening a dark tooth

Answer: Whitening a dark tooth

Answer: Whitening a dead tooth

Answer: Whitening a dead tooth

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Everything you need to know about Porcelain Veneers

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Is There a Whitening Option for a Dead Front Tooth That Does Not Need a Root Canal?

Answers (6)

Answer: Whitening a dark tooth

Answer: Whitening a dark tooth

Answer: Whitening a dead tooth

Answer: Whitening a dead tooth

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Porcelain Veneers

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.