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A single discoloured tooth may be the result of root canal treatment or trauma to the tooth in the past. Blood products from the pulp in the middle of the tooth (nerve) leak into the tooth substance causing the typical bluish-brown discolouration. Provided that the seal from the root canal filling is good, internal tooth whitening is a simple technique which can be used to improve the appearance.
BEFORE: A discoloured tooth caused by root canal infection in the past.
AFTER: Internal whitening and replacement of old fillings has been performed.
First an x-ray of the tooth is taken. This is done to ensure that there is no infection at the end of the root. Then the filling at the back of the tooth is removed. This filling would have been placed in the past to seal up the entrance to the root canal, therefore no damage is done to the tooth. A liquid paste containing the bleaching material is placed in the tooth, and a temporary filling is used to seal it inside. It is usually left for a week, and may require two or three repetitions to progressively whiten the tooth over a number of visits. When the colour is satisfactory, a permanent white filling can be used to re-seal the hole at the back of the tooth.
The procedure is regarded as conservative because it doesn’t involve removing enamel from the tooth as would be the case if a crown or a veneer were used to mask the discoloured tooth instead. In the images above, we also replaced the discoloured white filling on the side of the front tooth as well as internally whitening the discoloured one.
© Southgate Smiles Dental Care 2008
