My left lateral incisor has been darkening over the past three years. My endodontist tested the tooth’s viability and said it was healthy. However, the X-ray showed a faint horizontal fracture in the tooth. The endodontist said I can get a root canal or delay it. It is my understanding that a root canal can fracture the tooth. I have also considered dental bonding or cosmetic dentistry to conceal the dark tooth. The endodontist says I can get bonding on the dark tooth and the teeth next to it to hide the discoloration. Is a root canal needed at this point? – Thanks. Desiree
Desiree,
Root canal treatment
Your tooth gradually turning dark could be because of some trauma you had some time ago, at least the five years during which it has been turning dark. Trauma can cause a tooth to build up defenses in the form of secondary dentin. This will cause the tooth to darken somewhat and will also cause the living pulp tissue to shrink, making your tooth less sensitive to cold or other stimuli.
If your tooth has been turning dark over the past three years, it could be due to trauma. A traumatized tooth builds up secondary dentin as a defense, which can darken the tooth. The secondary dentist causes the tooth pulp to shrink and become less sensitive to cold or other stimuli in a viability test.
How to Lighten a Dark Tooth
Cosmetic bonding or a porcelain veneer will lighten a dark tooth. A trained cosmetic dentist can perform either procedure skillfully and perfectly match your adjacent teeth.
If you need root canal treatment eventually, an endodontist can access the back of the tooth to complete the procedure. Bonding several teeth isn’t necessary to hide a dark tooth. A skilled cosmetic dentist will treat the affected tooth and ensure it matches the others. A family or general dentist who insists on bonding several teeth or applying porcelain veneers does not have color-matching skills. So, schedule consultations with at least two cosmetic dentists to discuss your options.
Sugar Land, Texas, dentist Dr. Siny Thomas of Cornerstone Dentistry sponsors this post. Read about Dr. Thomas’s commitment to giving his patients the best dental care he can.