October 1, 2021
Most people seek teeth whitening treatments whenever they have yellow teeth. However, what do you do if you have a dead tooth and desire to bleach it? Most likely, you are thinking of how to whiten a dead tooth at home. Plus, you might be asking yourself, “Can a dead tooth be whitened?”
But be of good cheer! Our dentist near you is capable of brightening your smile again. In most cases, teeth whitening near you can give you the desired results. However, the effectiveness of teeth whitening treatment used to whiten a dead tooth is dependent on the procedural steps taken and the method chosen to whiten the tooth.
Is It Necessary to Whiten a Dead Tooth?
It is not uncommon for some people to think that their teeth are not alive. However, they are alive, and they are made of a combination of soft and hard tissue. The outer layer of the tooth serves to protect the inner softer layers of the tooth, known as the pulp. The pulp has nerves and blood vessels.
If you are in an accident or there is tooth decay, the nerves and the blood vessels will not provide the tooth with the necessary nourishment. Shortly after, the nerves and blood vessels die. So, when the tooth no longer receives a fresh supply of blood, discoloration occurs.
A healthy tooth should have a shade of white; however, a discolored tooth may appear light brown, yellow, black, or gray. The discoloration will become more vivid as time goes by as the tooth continues to die.
If the dead tooth is clearly visible, then you might need to brighten it. If not, the tooth will continue to mar your smile, in turn affecting your dental aesthetics. So, instead of allowing a dead tooth to bash your confidence, let our dentist near you brighten your smile.
Is It Possible to Whiten a Dead Tooth?
So, can you whiten a dead tooth? Yes! It is possible to brighten a dead tooth. However, the strategy will be different from ordinary teeth whitening treatments. The whole idea is to restore your smile and give your tooth a natural appearance.
For instance, the standard procedure is to apply the bleaching agent to all of your teeth to achieve a uniformly brightened smile. However, employing this tactic will probably not work, and the dead tooth will still stick out like a sore thumb!
Therefore, one of the best methods would be to target the dead tooth. So, this means that there will be additional applications that will take place. Our dentist near you may decide to bleach all of your teeth and see what happens or begin with the discolored tooth.
Bear in mind that whitening a dead tooth might take much longer than healthy teeth. Your tooth might also need additional treatments to attain the desired results.
Is There Another Approach to Whitening a Dead Tooth?
Yes! A dead tooth has intrinsic stains, meaning the stains are inside the tooth rather than outside. Therefore, if the traditional application may not achieve the desired result, putting the bleaching agent inside the tooth can be a good alternative.
Our dentist can access the pulp chamber (the inner part of the tooth) by making a hole at the back of the tooth. Then, the debris will be removed, and a special cement will be placed to prevent the whitening agent (hydrogen peroxide and sodium perborate) from leaking into your tooth’s roots.
The whitening agent will be placed in the pulp chamber and sealed temporarily. After the procedure, you will be allowed to go home, but you will have to come back a few days later for re-application.
When the desired color has been attained, a permanent restoration material will be placed to seal the tiny hole at the back of your tooth.
If this is not enough, it can be used in concert with external bleaching.
What Can You Do If Teeth Whitening Cannot Whiten a Dead Tooth?
Not every dead tooth will respond to teeth whitening treatments. If this is the case, you may need to consider other options, such as porcelain veneers or crowns. These treatments will encase the discolored tooth, and your smile will be bright as ever.
So, if you need to whiten a dead tooth, contact us at Sunrise Dental of Auburn to schedule a dental appointment.
