Will a Dead Tooth Whiten with Teeth Whitening?

Published: July 1, 2021

What options do you have to whiten a dead tooth? Is it even possible? This is a tricky situation. Using whitening treatments to whiten a dead tooth works well for some individuals, while for other people, the results are not quite so successful. The quality of the outcome actually lies in the procedural steps that are taken during this process, as well as the method that is chosen to whiten a dead tooth.

Should You Whiten a Dead Tooth?

When the roots of a tooth die, discolouration occurs. If the tooth is located in the front area of your mouth where it is highly visible, you might want to whiten it. A dead tooth disrupts the natural appearance of your smile, and it is highly noticeable. Rather than allowing it to reduce your confidence, whiten a dead tooth and restore your smile.

Can You Whiten a Dead Tooth with Teeth Whitening Treatments?

It is possible to whiten a dead tooth using in-office or at-home teeth whitening treatments. The key is to go about this procedure in a specific way to encourage a more natural appearance to the end result. If you apply a teeth whitening treatment to all of your teeth at the same time, it is quite likely that the dead tooth is still going to stick out with a noticeably different coloration than the rest of your teeth.

The best strategy is to use a target-directed approach to whiten a dead tooth. With this approach, additional teeth whitening takes place specifically on the discoloured tooth. Your dentist might choose to begin with this tooth, or he might decide to see what happens after the initial teeth whitening procedure. When you want to whiten a dead tooth, it is important to realize that it doesn’t do so at the same rate as teeth that are still healthy and alive. It whitens more slowly, requiring additional treatments.

What Happens If You Can’t Whiten a Dead Tooth with Teeth Whitening Treatments?

In some cases, teeth whitening treatments will be unsuccessful in brightening the colour of a dead tooth. When this happens, you might have to consider porcelain veneers or dental crowns.

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Dr. Pazhoh

Dr. Pazhoh has a robust background in advanced clinical dentistry and practice management. They have specialized training in implant therapy and grafting, endodontic re-treatment, Botulinum Toxin applications, sedation dentistry, and Cone Beam CT techniques from leading institutions like gIDE Dental Institute and the University of British Columbia. Recently, they have focused on clear aligner therapy and biological bone augmentation to stay current with modern dental practices.