Will a Dead Tooth Whiten with Teeth Whitening? - Enhance Dental CA (2024)

FAQs

Will a Dead Tooth Whiten with Teeth Whitening? - Enhance Dental CA? ›

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.

Yes, it is possible to whiten a dead tooth, but the key to successful treatment is a targeted approach. A dead tooth whitens more slowly, which requires additional treatments. So, it's likely that whitening all your teeth will only result in the dark tooth looking even more noticeable compared to the surrounding teeth.

Things are even worse if the tooth is already decayed. Whitening treatments are not effective on stains and discoloration caused by tooth decay and it can end up damaging the tooth even more.

The first step is an evaluation of the traumatized tooth/teeth to ensure that the pulp is alive. This is done with an X-ray or other tests. If the pulp is alive, external bleaching can be performed to whiten the tooth.

Teeth that have yellowed with age

Dentin is naturally yellowish and cannot be lightened with teeth whitening products.

Dentists usually use procedures like root canal therapy to treat the problem and preserve the tooth while reducing related discomfort. Root canal therapy is often recommended for dead teeth to alleviate pain and save them from extraction. It aims to remove infected pulp and seal the root canal to prevent further decay.

When the pulp dies, the tooth may turn purple, grey, pink, dark yellow, or almost black in color. The dead blood vessels and nerve tissue undergo a degradation process that can produce a variety of colors, similar to the way a bruise changes in color.

Most teeth whitening systems work by removing stain/discolouration that are in tooth enamel on the outside of your tooth. This doesn't work for deteriorating teeth that are stained from the inside. Your tooth may respond well to an internal bleaching procedure that only dentists can provide.

Fillings, crowns, and other restorations.

Any whitening procedure should be done prior to the placement of restorations. People with numerous restorations that would result in uneven whitening may be better off considering bonding, veneers, or crowns rather than a tooth whitening system.

For more stubborn stains, you may need at-home or professional whitening to remove brown stains. For plaque or tartar, you'll likely need to schedule a dental cleaning to remove the brown stains. And if you have tooth decay and cavities, these will need to be treated by your dentist.

What makes you ineligible for teeth whitening? ›

Not everyone is the right candidate for teeth whitening. For example, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should wait to get whitening. People who have dental bridges or crowns may want to talk to their dentist before considering whitening. Children should be at least 16 to get this type of treatment.

But if you have thin enamel or discolored dentin, these whitening products will only serve to do more harm than good. The rule of thumb is the thinner your enamel, the darker the dentin will be, which means your teeth appear more yellow.

As long as the calcification doesn't cause any other problems in the otherwise healthy tooth, this condition may not require any treatment, according to the IJHS review. However, if you're concerned about tooth discoloration, a dental professional may be able to provide bleaching treatment to restore the tooth's color.

Tooth and gum sensitivity and pain

Store-bought products may contain abrasive substances like hydrogen peroxide, which can be effective if used minimally, but in large doses can cause erosion of teeth's enamel and shrinkage of the gums.

People who have restorations such as fillings, implants, crowns and dental bridges. Children under 16 years of age. Patients with periodontal disease, tooth decay, cavities and exposed roots. People who are allergic to teeth bleaching whitening agents like peroxide.

Tooth decay and teeth whitening treatments simply do not mix. The bleaching agents used for the treatment weaken enamel. That can lead to discomfort and damage to teeth structures if the patient has existing issues like cavities.

It sounds like you have a congenitally missing tooth. It's not uncommon. Unfortunately, teeth whitening only affects natural tooth structure, so your fake tooth will not change.

What to expect if a tooth turns gray. Gray teeth may not go back to their original color unless they're treated with whitening agents. If you don't get the results you want from at-home treatment, your dentist may recommend in-office bleaching or veneers.

If you're insecure about your not-so-pearly whites, you might even avoid visiting the dentist, which means you probably have untreated oral health issues like cavities. While you may be tempted to purchase teeth whitening products from the drugstore, trying to whiten decayed teeth can do more harm than good.

A crown is a covering that's specifically molded to your tooth. Your dentist will file away part of your existing tooth and then permanently fit the crown over the tooth. A crown can be made to match the color of your surrounding teeth so that it's not noticeable.