“Treating Discolored Teeth: A Guide”
Discolored Teeth Treatable, says Dental Expert
According to dental specialist Dt. Tuğçe Serdaroğlu, single tooth discoloration can occur due to various infections caused by bacterial sources or trauma factors in the teeth. The most significant causes of single tooth discoloration are blows and wrong root canal treatments, resulting in the inner surfaces of the teeth losing their aesthetic appearance.
In order to protect the health of the tissues in the teeth where the infection is advanced, it may be necessary to remove the vein and nerve package of the teeth. In this case, root canal treatment applications may be needed to restore health. While some teeth may experience discoloration problems in the following process, these discolorations observed on the inner surfaces of the teeth for various reasons do not constitute an obstacle to the preservation of oral and dental health. However, single teeth whitening treatments may be necessary to restore an aesthetic smile.
For patients who come to the dentist with a single tooth discoloration complaint, every detail about that tooth should be transferred to the dentist by the patient. Dr. Serdaroğlu advises that even breaking hard things that are done constantly with the front teeth may be a cause of trauma. Every detail of such trauma should be shared with the dentist to ensure a proper examination.
In addition, in the radiograph taken from the discolored tooth, infection can be observed at the root tip due to the loss of vitality of the tooth. In this case, the physician may tell the patient that there is an old root canal treatment that needs to be repeated. If the tooth does not have root canal treatment, it is confirmed whether the tooth is alive or not. With dry ice applied to the tooth, it is checked whether it perceives the cold or not. When cold is applied to a tooth that has lost its vitality, the patient does not feel anything.
According to Dr. Serdaroğlu, the root canal treatment of the tooth is performed first in treatment or if this is due to old inappropriate root canal treatment, the old root canal treatment is renewed, and the root area of the tooth is restored to health. Then, whitening is applied to the crown part of the tooth that is visible in the mouth. Whitening agents are not applied to the outer part of the tooth, but to the inner part of the tooth on the way to the canal, depending on the degree of tooth discoloration, several sessions can be applied. After providing adequate whiteness equivalent to other teeth, the whitening agent is neutralized with another drug and closed with permanent aesthetic filling material.
Dr. Serdaroğlu also mentions that single tooth discolorations usually do not return to their old dark color when the factor is removed with a good root canal treatment because they are not due to external factors as in general tooth discoloration.
