Tag Archives: Dark Tooth

Will Crest Whitestrips Damage a Tooth?

I have a damaged incisor that has always been a bit darker than the other teeth. It has started to embarrass me now that I am older. I wanted to whiten it, so my dentist suggested I try Crest Whitestrips. I bought their strongest. After a week, that tooth started to hurt, so I stopped using them. However, the tooth doesn’t seem to be getting any better. It is sensitive to both cold and heat. Do you think it needs a root canal treatment? Is it normal for teeth whitening to do that?

Livvie

Dear Livvie,

Woman covering her mouth with hand. Seeing something shocking surprised and speechless face expression.

In general, using Crest Whitestrips are safe. That is mostly true because they are not very strong. For safety reasons, the over-the-counter brands are weaker than what you would get if you were doing teeth whitening with a dentist. I’ve only heard of one other time someone needed a root canal treatment after using Crest Whitestrips and the situation is eerily similar to yours.

My recommendation would be to have your dentist do a cold test on your teeth. That will help him know if the tooth needs further treatment.

The Right Fix for a Dark Tooth

One further thing here. Crest White strips (or any teeth whitening) was the wrong treatment for this. When your teeth are whitened, they whiten uniformly. That means the dark tooth would still be darker than the other teeth.

A better treatment for this would have been either dental bonding or even a porcelain veneer. Either way, don’t allow your current dentist to do the treatment.

Teeth whitening is one of the easiest cosmetic procedures available. Every dentist should be able to do it properly. It seems, however, that your dentist doesn’t understand even that. Dental bonding and veneers are much more advanced. When you are ready to get this tooth fixed, you will want to seek an expert cosmetic dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentists Drs. Thimmesch and Foreman.

One of my teeth is turning dark

When I was a kid I got hit in the mouth by a wooden swing. It chipped the corner of my tooth off, and for all these years I’ve had a small filling that was apparently very well done, according to all the dentists I have seen. Now that I am considerably older, though, that tooth is starting to get dark. I noticed it starting several years ago and it has been happening very slowly, but now it is quite noticeable.

This is making me pretty self-conscious. I talked to my dentist about Lumineers, but he said there have been problems with that kind of porcelain veneer. He also said that he was reluctant to do a porcelain crown, because the canal has calcified and the structure wouldn’t be strong enough.

He really told me all about what he didn’t want to do, and didn’t offer a solution. Do you have any suggestions?

Thanks,

Cody in Los Angeles, CA

Dear Cody,

From the sounds of it, your dentist is uncomfortable with cosmetic procedures. It is actually a good thing that he is not offering to do procedures that he is not comfortable with, as that could have an unhappy result. Ask your dentist to refer you to a cosmetic dentist, one who has the training and experience necessary to do a really beautiful job for you.

A single porcelain veneer or even direct dental bonding would be very viable solutions to your problem, in the hands of the right cosmetic dentist. There is no reason you can’t go to a different dentist for this cosmetic procedure, and stay with your regular dentist for cleanings and regular care.

Lafayette Louisiana cosmetic dentist Dr. Mike Malone’s office provides this blog as a courtesy.