Dark Tooth

We all know someone or know someone who knows someone who has ONE dark front tooth. What gives❔

Your front #tooth that’s slightly darker is usually caused by trauma (like that frisbee that hit your tooth when you were 9 😫 or because of that root canal you needed on it a couple of years ago)

While there’s nothing you can do to stop the tooth from darkening there are things you can do to mask the color!

1. Root canal treatment with internal bleaching (as normal tooth bleaching will bleach every other tooth but the one you want!)

–You can’t do the internal bleaching (which is placing a bleach slurry inside the tooth for up to a 3-4 weeks to lift the darkness) without doing the root canal first

–Internal bleaching is a tricky procedure and can go wrong easily. The lift in color is not permanent (cases tend to relapse within a couple of years) and if the bleach is not perfectly sealed you can cause internal resorption, which is when the tooth softens from the inside out. Not my top option for the risk IMO.

2. Porcelain or Zirconia Veneer or Crown

–Our expert lab ceramists will layer porcelain to mask the dark undertone of the tooth while matching your teeth next door.

–This requires preparing your tooth to make room for the porcelain

All treatments come with their associated risks- just make sure those risks are worth it to you. If the tooth is incredibly dark those risks may ALL be worth it – whereas if you just notice an slight value difference you may just want to leave it alone