Last week, Pam left a comment asking whether or not root canal treatment can darken a tooth. I gave her a short answer, telling her that sometimes root canals can discolor teeth.
If you want to know about the four different ways that a root canal can darken your tooth, this article is for you.
4 Ways Getting a Root Canal Can Discolor or Stain Your Tooth
1 – The tooth can get discolored if any pulp tissue is left inside the tooth. If you’ve read this post about the anatomy of a tooth, then you know that the pulp is the center layer of the tooth.
It can be easy for a dentist to accidentally leave some pulp tissue inside of the tooth because sometimes the pulp isn’t all together in the middle of the tooth. Sometimes there are little offshoots of pulp tissue in little tunnels that branch away from the main pulp chamber known as pulp horns.
The book Esthetic Dentistry by Aschheim states, “Elusive pulp horns and lateral extensions of the pulp chamber often remain untouched during routine endodontic access preparation…Careful removal of tissue and debris from these areas may help prevent subsequent tooth discoloration.”
If any pulp tissue is left inside of the tooth after the root canal is completed, it can decompose and eventually discolor the tooth.
How to fix discoloration caused by pulp tissue: Usually internal bleaching can remove any discoloration that was caused by pulp remnants left inside of the tooth.
2 – A tooth with a root canal get get discolored if root canal filling materials are left in the crown portion of the tooth. When dentists do root canals, they remove the pulp tissue from the tooth (hopefully enough so that it doesn’t discolor the tooth – see above) and replace it with a liquid sealer and a solid rubber filling material called gutta percha.
This study showed that all root canal sealers can cause tooth discoloration when remnants of the sealer are left in the crown portion of the tooth. Certain sealers may stain the tooth more than others. Gutta percha is also believed to be able to discolor teeth.
Prevention is the best approach for this type of root canal discoloration. The dentist can prevent this by removing any root canal filling materials that are in the crown portion of the tooth and keeping them isolated to the root portion of the tooth.
How to fix discoloration caused by root canal filling materials: Internal bleaching is the best method to remove this type of root canal discoloration. However, if the staining was caused by a sealer with a high metal content, bleaching may not be extremely successful and if it is, the tooth may discolor again in the future.
3 – Medications that are put into the root canal can discolor a tooth with a root canal. Sometimes dentists add certain medications when they do root canals to help increase the chances that the root canal will be successful.
The book Endodontics: Principles and Practice by Torabinejad says, “Several medicaments have the potential to cause internal discoloration of the dentin. Phenolic or iodoform-based…medications, sealed in the root canal space, are in direct contact with dentin, sometimes for long periods, allowing for their penetration and oxidization. These compounds have a tendency to discolor the dentin gradually.”
How to fix discoloration caused by root canal medications: A majority of root canal discoloration caused by medications can be reversed by simply bleaching the tooth.
4 – A tooth with a root canal can get discolored depending the material that is put inside of the crown. If an amalgam (silver metal) filling is used to build the crown of the tooth back up after completion of the root canal, the amalgam filling can stain the tooth a dark gray color.
You can prevent this staining by asking your dentist to not use amalgam to fill any of your front teeth so that your smile remains aesthetically pleasing.
How to fix a discoloration in a tooth with a root canal caused by an amalgam filling: Metallic discoloration caused by an amalgam filling is hard to remove, but some experts say that internal bleaching may work depending on how discolored the tooth is. Sometimes, replacing the metal filling with a white composite filling can help gradually reduce the staining caused by the amalgam filling.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a variety of ways that root canals can discolor your teeth, but they are usually reversible.
This doesn’t mean that root canals will always discolor your teeth. I had a root canal on a tooth four years ago. I had it filled with a white composite filling and it hasn’t discolored.
In fact, many times a root canal can turn a discolored tooth white again!
Do you have any comments or questions about tooth discoloration due to root canal treatment? I’d love to hear what you have to say in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!
Hi,
I was just reading up on your root canal treatment. Im 27yrs old (Female), and last year had root canal treatment on one of my front teeth (to the side of my mouth). That has now dis-coloured to a dark grey colour. Half of my tooth is grey and the other half is a white filling. This looks horrible. I have now spoken to my dentist and we have decided to put a crown on it. This doesnt help because the tooth is on a twist.He says that by putting a crown on it he may be able to get it were there isn’t a twist to it,(STRAIGHT) is this possible?. This is costing £190, so I hope it works. I want it to look as natural as possible, so the tooth doesn’t look fake. Aftrer all this is one of my front teeth.
Carla
(Blackburn)
Hi Carla – It is possible to remove the twisting from your tooth by placing a crown on it. When we prepare teeth for crowns, we usually cut them down uniformly. In your case, your dentist can cut it down more in certain parts of the tooth so that when a crown is made, it will make the tooth appear to be straight.
I hope it works out for you, too. If you have any doubts, you can try asking your dentist if you can see some photos of previous patients he has worked on with a similar problem.
Porcelain crowns when placed on the front teeth can look just like natural teeth. I hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions.
so like what are the chances for crown to come off in later life??
HI tom, so I recently had a root canal started by my dentist she broke a file off down in the canal of my tooth and recommended I go to a specialist. Is this type of thing commen?
Hi I had my root canal done a couple of years back and mine turned dark grey and I was in pain for about 8 months with it. They said it was fine. Eventually another dentist decided to put a veneer on it. But it kept popping off . So I got a night guard because I grind my teeth. Now she refuses to put it on or do anything with it. Even though my tooth is filed down. Now they want me to get another on the other side of my front teeth. And I’m very reluctant after 3 years of braces if they told me it would happen I would never of had it done.
Hi,
Just read the way the tooth is root canal my problem is that my wisdom tooth is tilted and the next adjoining tooth is infected i went to the dentist for treatment he told me the root canal process of the infected teeth first as i was quiet scared with the needle and the pain then he decided to put a drill in a teeth and then injected some medicine and close the teeth with temperorary filling for five days again the process is repeated for more five days i felt a mild pain during these days now i am feeling that when i touched the tooth hardly it pains what should i do …is it a correct way to root canal the teeth.
Hi Sameer – This is a good way to do the root canal to make sure that it heals well. Some dentists will put medicine in the roots to allow the infection to heal. Once the infection is gone, they will then proceed to do the rest of the root canal.
I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Sameer!
I am confused as I have had root canal on my front tooth which has subsequently turned noticeably grey. My dentist said it is not actually grey it is just the way the light shines on it and there is nothing he can do. Not to mention that I have had two abcesses in the gum above it since the filling 12 months ago (which is why he filled it in the first place – without any evidence of anything wrong with the tooth showing on the xray). It constantly leaks a vile greeny yellow substance when you press on the gum above the tooth which smells awful and the tooth just under the gum is very sensitive if touched with anything and I have an impacted tooth right above it (which my dentist says is far enough away not to cause any problems). For someone who is 44 and has otherwise perfect teeth without any previous fillings, you can imagine I am finding the whole experience quite harrowing.
Hi Fiona – Root canals can discolor teeth. If it’s grey because that’s the color it looks when light shines on it, then it’s probably grey 🙂 Most color is a result of light reflecting off of a surface. Maybe your dentist doesn’t think it’s very grey…
If it is leaking a substance, chances are that you have an infection above that tooth and either the root canal failed or it was done on the wrong tooth. You might try getting a second opinion to see what’s going on. Sometimes it’s good to have a new set of eyes take a look at your problem and see if they can see anything else.
I hope that helps, Fiona. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment!
Hi tom I’m 22 and I had root canal on my front tooth about 7 years ago, and now half of the tooth is grey! I have had a bridge on the tooth next to it and they have used a grey iron thingy to glue it on the the tooth i had canal treatment on, could that we why my tooth is shading darker?
Hi, I have a question about root canals. I’m in the process of one on a molar tooth. My dentist said it’s the most difficult he’s seen because my molar has 4 canals. Anywho, after the second treatment(it took two appointments just to clean, measure and file the tooth down), my neighboring tooth is turning grey on top and is very sensitive. Any idea why?
hello..I am in my early 20’s and made my trip to the dentist for the first time in a couple years for a regular check up..I ended up having xrays which showed that one of my top front teeth was in danger, and that I needed to have a root canal done as soon as possible to save it..I was shocked because I had zero pain there to begin with.. I went through with the canal that day( tooth next to my top front tooth)…the dentist prescribed me some antibiotics “just in case” an infection developed. I am a little bit of a worry wort due to what happened when I once took penicilinn so I researched the antibiotic I was given and was extremely concerned by what I had read. I found many websites of people saying how much of an awful experience they had and I decided that I was too nervous to take the drug. So, basically I would just like to know how common is it to prescribe pills after a root canal? It has been five days since I had the procedure done, and I do go back next week to finish it with permanent filling, but I have yet to take the medicine. I am only having a little bit of soreness, but I do have a darkish coloration on my tooth…Any advise? Thanks!
Hi Amanda – Depending on the size of the infection, antibiotics may benefit you. This is usually decided by the dentist/endodontist on a case by case basis.
You might find this paper (Endodontics in the adult patient: the role of antibiotics) helpful. You can read more about it on the second page (page 540.)
Hi, I went to my dentist a few years back to get my teeth whitened, while I was there he took x-rays and said I needed a root canal on my two front lower teeth, I was surprised because I had never noticed any pain or problem with the teeth, He did the root canal and then I noticed the teeth started turning grey and then black. It is very embarrassing to smile now and has completely changed me, I try to talk with only my top teeth showing, I am afraid to go back to the dentist because I fear what he might do to fix it could be even worse. Is there anything I can do to make them white again? Thank you for any advise I can use.
Hi Tara – Sometimes teeth can need root canals even if you’ve never had any pain. Did the teeth ever have trauma or fillings/crowns placed?
There is something known as “internal bleaching” where a bleaching agent is placed inside a tooth that has had a root canal. This method of bleaching is very powerful and many times can restore your tooth to its original whiteness.
I hope that helps – Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Tara.
what if a crown is already there after root canal .. ?? is internal bleeching still beneficial to whiten the discoloured tooth ???
Hi doctor, how long does internal bleaching last?
Thank you
Hi,
About 3 weeks ago I had a sports accident which resulted in one of my front teeth receiving a pretty bad hit including it was bent a bit (tho not broken). Went to the emergency dentist who put the tooth back in its right place and put on a brace. Since then have been to my normal dentist. He removed the original brace and instead put on a different (more discrete) custom made brace on the back. Was told to keep this brace on for about 2.5-3 mths. The tooth seems to be back in its original place and have grown back in its place but is still a bit sensitive to temperatures sometimes….
Unfortunately, my front tooth has started to change color and get grey (guess it is the trauma)… And it seems to get worse day by day… 🙁 Anything I can do to avoid further darkening of the tooth? – and what are my options for coloring it…? – also, when will I know if I need a root canal? – And do I need a root canal before something can be done about the color of the tooth…?
As you can see then am quite keen on doing something quickly as am not so happy with my grey front tooth 🙁
Your thoughts would be really helpful.
– C
Hi Christina – With baby teeth, sometimes the tooth will return to normal color. If you’ve had an accident and the tooth is turning gray, I would go see your dentist. Chances are that they will recommend a root canal. The best way to get rid of the discoloration would probably be internal bleaching, which is done after the root canal. They put a whitening material inside of the tooth and it bleaches from the inside out.
I hope that helps – Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Jessica!
Thanks Tom for your quick reply. I will make sure to visit my dentist again shortly.
Is it only baby teeth that sometimes will go back to the normal color or also 30+years teeth… ? 🙂
– C
Hi Christina – I was slightly off in my response above. I did some more research into your question and found the following in the textbook Endodontics: Principles & Practice by Torabinejad regarding injuries similar to yours:
“Crown color changes are usually the main complaint for seeking treatment. Because it has not been possible to relate discolored teeth to pulpal status, persistent gray discoloration of the crown is not considered an indication for root canal treatment, unless a sinus tract or an abscess develops. Discolored primary teeth may return to normal color, probably indicating recovery of the pulp.”
It didn’t make any mention of adult teeth returning to their normal color. I would assume that it can happen, but it’s probably not as common as in baby teeth. In any case, you don’t necessarily need a root canal unless an infection develops.
I hope that helps – let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Christina!
Thanks again Tom. The information you are providing is really helpful…
How long time would it usually roughly take for a tooth to return to its normal color (if I would be that lucky!)…?
Also, could I have internal bleaching without a root canal? – is bleaching a big procedure and what are the probability the dentist gets the color right? – finally does bleaching have any long term impact on the tooth?
Just want my big happy colgate smile back 🙂
– C
Hi
Are these the only stains you can get from root canals or are there a lot more depending on the situation? I also know that after a RTC that your tooth becomes much more brittle and your more likely to have a discolored tooth; is there any way besides a internal bleaching.
Hi May – These are the only ones that I know of that are directly caused by root canals. Internal bleaching is usually the strongest method of whitening discolored teeth that have had root canals.
I hope that helps. Thanks for your comment, May! Let me know if you have any other questions.
My daughetr is 17 and had a root canal done on her front tooth about 4 years ago. As time has passed it her tooth is turner grayer and much more noticable. Her dentist recommended that we whiten her teeth proffessionally first(550.00) and then if the front tooth does not look better we should internally bleach the front tooth to match her newly whitened teeth. Does that seem like a good idea to you?
Are there any pictures to help with how they look like in general?
I had a root canal done on my front right tooth about 2 months ago, I’m 28. I use to play baseball when I was young (pitcher) and got hit in the mouth with the baseball. My dentist suggested a root canal to “avoid infection in the future”. Although I was hesitant and didn’t really think it was necessary, I trusted him and just had it done. I didn’t seem to have any complications, however my issue is this. The tooth I had the root canal on just feels different now. If I run my finger across the rest of my top teeth (that never had any work done) for example, as soon as my finger runs across the tooth I had the root canal on, it feels different. Not sure if sensitive is the word. It doesn’t hurt, I’m just aware of it and its more annoying because I can’t help but always touch it. And being that it was slightly loose I’m always trying to see if it’s gotten worse, but if I didn’t have this “different” feeling I wouldn’t bother with it. And my dentist also adjusted my bite at the back and it was fine after, but sometimes when I bite it feels like it was adjusted at all as I can feel the back of my tooth when I bite, but not always! As if it moves from time to time, is this possible? So that’s one question, and also if you can just explain why the tooth that had the root canal feels different? It’s been over 2 months, I don’t know if the being aware of it feeling will go away in time or if something wasn’t done right or missed? I feel like it’s nerves, and/or sinus related. When I first had it done, underneath my nose was sore and although the soreness passed quickly, I still always have that odd feeling in that tooth and it feels like my sinuses irritate me from time to time, like that feeling you get when you think a cold is coming or a sneeze. I hope all my info helped! And also, I was never put on antibiotics after the root canal. And I was going to have a crown put on it but decided not to. I have also been whitening my teeth with the trays and whitening gel every week or so, it has helped whiten that tooth a bit. It’s not that dark but it’s slightly off and the whitening definitely helps. But the whole tooth in general now just hasn’t felt right since the root canal was done. Any info you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Oh, I always wanted to ask about this internal whitening you speak of. Are you able to have this done months after a root canal or does it have to be done at the same time? Why did my dentist never mention this to me? He only suggested the whitening because I was going to have the crown done but later decided not to but I continued with the whitening as I saw an improvement.
Hi, I had a root canal on my front tooth about 14 years ago, and about 4 years ago had internal whitening which didnt do that much to fix the colour of my tooth. My dentist made a tray, drilled a hole and gave me a bleaching gel to squirt in each day. I’ve read about a method where a bleaching agent is put and sealed in by the dentist. Could this method be more effective than the one I’ve tried? I’m assuming that the bleaching agent would be stronger than a gel you put on yourself?
Thanks!
Darren
i had a cap fitted on my right front tooth when i was 14 years old due to having my tooth broken now im aged 31 with it still intact but slowly wearing down abit but what bothers me more is my tooth is gone discloured and i do not like it is there anything i can have doen to change the colour of it
I am not sure where you are getting your information, but good topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more. Thanks for great info I was looking for this information for my mission.
When I was 16 my front tooth suffered trauma and I had to have it held in with a temporary brace. They also performed a root canal. About a year after the brace was removed and my teeth looked great.
Well when I was 21 I woke up one morning with a swollen face, I had formed an absence. This time I went to an emergency dentist who informed me the previous root canal filling wasn’t done correctly letting food and bacterias inside the tooth. This dentist had to re-preform a root canal and hollow the tooth. As you can imagine, at 34 years old now, I have what looks like a gold tooth.
I have been told no to veneers, my tooth is to thin for preparation. Crowning the tooth is also impossible for the same reason. I have been told an implant is the only option. I have asked about bleaching, but three dentists have entirely avoided this question….saying my tooth is brittle and eventually will break so I should just go with the implant now. Is there a reason internal bleaching wouldn’t work in my case?? Or are they just trying to squeeze more money out of me with the implant??
Hi I am 14 years old and I got a root canal done on my front tooth yesterday. I dont think that i needed it but i was having a little bit of pain in the tooth that wasnt caused by hotness or coldness. I had chipped my tooth in a bike accident 7 yrs ago and thought that the worse that could happen was they would reddo the filling they put on my tooth. I was wrong and I am very unhappy because I was suppoed to be going in for a consultation and the dentist did the root canal and didnt even tell my mom. Now my tooth hurts and I am very frusterated. I feel like my tooth is gonna fall of if i bite into a sandwhich becauseof the pain it causes me..please help. What Can I Do???
Hi Morgan,
The fact that the dentist didn’t even bother to inform your mom (who’s probably the one paying for the procedure) already borderlines to malpractice. Informed consent etc etc. whether or not you seek compensation pretty much depends on whether or not this dentist will be able to restore you to a pain-free, esthetically acceptable condition.
The RCT *might* have been necessary in fact which is very hard to determine ‘after’ the pulp has been removed. Does your dentist hold any x-rays showing your tooth before treatment? You might request that x-ray to be handed out, to show it to an endodontist since you’re still in pain with that tooth. Which you might as well just do, at least for a consultation (specialists usually charge higher fees so make sure your mom makes it clear that she wants to be informed *before* anything is started).
If there has been no x-ray taken prior to RCT, well then the current dentist is even more borderlining towards malpractice (the bad word no dentist likes). The least this dentist should do is work out a solution. One thing is certain, the RCT wasn’t successful because in a successful root canal treatment the pulp nerve is gone. Radio silent. Remote-diagnosis-wise, we can’t conclude if the root canal really needed treatment (still possible), and what causes the current pain (the tooth might need ‘re-treatment’).
On your part, too bad that you waited 7 years with that first filling. Composite fillings can’t be expected to last that long without substantial ‘leakage’ (-> failure). Would have been so kind of your first dentist if he/shehad informed you.
Oops, I just saw the date… Hope it helps someone in a similar situation!
Nils Sens
InTouch Dentistry
Hi, I had a clearbond filling in my upper front tooth and it has become discoloured. What can I do to fix it. Thanks Pauline.
Hi I have had root canals in all 6 front teeth 3 are capped and 3 are composite build ups 2 of the build up teeth have literally became loose and fell out and metal post sticks out of them, I got cement and glued back in, 2 of the caps also popped off with tooth in them and glued them in also. What am I going to be able to do I feel they are not going to be able to save these teeth cause it seems the teeth are decaying under them. I have no dental insursnce any more and don’t know what to do I’m afraid to eat let alone talk for fear of them falling out. I’m only 31 please help!! 🙁
My dad continues to be writing a guide exactly on point with th is weblog web site, I’ve emailed him the net deal with so maybe he may choose up a pair pointers. Improbable Work.
hello,
my front tooth snapped off when I hit a metal chair & got stuck back on in school when I was 12 years old-the root died so I had a root canal done as I had to wash cold water around my mouth every couple of minutes due to the pain-however i dont remember at this stage my tooth being grey. the gum went grey at some point so ive had it bleached quite a bit in the last 15 years since it happened. my dentist now said that the dentist who did it has put a veneer on it & they stuffed the shape of it so i have to get it fixed. since my last bleaching it has taken any grey tone out of the tooth itself, however i can see a greyish colour where my tooth goes into my gum. for eg whwn i brush my teeth sometimes a really tiny bit of my gum goes up and I can see grey, I understand its not my tooth thats grey but rather the root of it at my gum….is there any way to fix this grey in the gum area to eliminate the tone? will a crown mask it more than the veneer? is it a situation where if I got the root canal re-done that it would get rid of any grey colour? or is that not a recommended to do so? thanks 🙂
I’m hoping that you could answer my question.
I just completed a comp filling in my right upper molar. A perm in one molar and a temp in the adjacent for eventual root canal in a week.
When I got home, I noticed a couple of fresh dark spots (stain?) on the side of a molar directly underneath the filled molars that were not there before I had the filling done.
Could you advise on what the dark stains could be?
She did drop some filling in that area and after I got up from the chair, I noticed the remnant in my mouth about where the stains were. I spit it in my hand and discarded it.
A blue light was used for the filling and some liquid that the dentist used, caused a burning sensation on my tongue.
Hi TJ,
It’s kinda cute to read the whole procedure from a patient’s POV. Actually your comment is an important piece of information that should be studied by dentists in training: from the perspective of a patient, there are many ‘unknowns’, and the whole experience wold be a lot more pleasant if you had been informed step-by-step. It would have been like this:
“This liquid here is actually an acid. It is used to roughen the surface of the tooth to make the composite bond to it better. If you taste something extremely sour, don’t worry, just rinse it well afterwards.”
“This blue light is very intense light that triggers a reaction in the soft filling composite paste so that it turns hard as teeth.”
“This paper is used to determine if the filling matches the opposing teeth or if it’s too ‘high’. If you see dark spots after the procedure, you can brush them off with your toothbrush.”
Apart from dropping stuff in your mouth, she’s probably a good dentist in a busy office that doesn’t take time for explanations. All three observations you made show that she’s ‘rushing’ to get the job done. Can’t find anything major problem from what you wrote.
But it’s very important to read your words, esp. for dentists!
Nils Sens
InTouch Dentistry
Hi Nils,
” If you see dark spots after the procedure, you can brush them off with your toothbrush.”
Thank you for your reply.
However, I am not ble to remove the dark spots. They appear to be permanent.
I’m unable to get a satisfactory explanantion as to why this has happenend.
I hope that the enamel has not been damaged or weakened.
Hmm… that’s very strange indeed! Your dentist should definitely be able to explain them.
You’re 100% sure they weren’t there before (but even if, the dentist should be able to tell what they are…)
Do you have a photo? Remote-guessing would be the only thing we could do from here. With a photo we could at least try to eliminate some things.
If you don’t have a photo, how dark is dark? brownish…or are we talking about black-ish (which was how I (mis-?)read it first.) ?
Hope we will find out. Is your dentist really *unwilling* to help you figure this out?? Try being a little serious about the issue maybe… Polite but firm if you know what I mean.
Have a great day, nonetheless!
hi.
i got a root canal about two years ago on my very front top tooth. and i just noticed today that one side of if looks bluish-grey is it posible to get rid of the grey coloring? i am only 21 and do not want to be witha grey tooth. can it be fixed?
My 12 y old had a root canal done last Summer due to an injury to his front tooth. The tooth was intact but we were told that there was damage to the nerve so they performed the root canal. Well now that tooth along with 3 other front teeth beside it are turning grey. I guess we’re back to the surgeon, but I’m wondering if they will be able to do something to get his teeth whitened. Is there anything I can do with otc whiteners in the meantime? Is this normal or did the surgeon miss something or do something wrong? As you know these procedures are very expensive and I’m sure the insurance company will not want to cover procedures for cosmetic reasons. But, it’s not right to have to pay out of pocket due to someone’s negligence. Any advice?
Hi Ruby – It’s very likely that he accident caused damage to other teeth, which is why they are also turning gray. It can be very difficult to tell at the time of the accident if there will be permanent nerve damage to injured teeth. They most likely treated the one that would definitely have problems and hoped that the others would heal. I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi, my dentist of 4 years told me for the first time I needed a filling. The tooth in question is one I mentioned to him 2 years ago the current filling was getting ‘darker’ He said it was fine. He is a very ‘quick’ dentist. I am usually in and out of my annual check ups in 10 minutes. I assume he’s just brilliant.
Now this filling is jagged and shreds the floss. The tooth is starting to hurt and when I scheduled a follow up appointment, the receptionist tells me (for the first time) it was a deep filling and will require root canal.
Are some dentists not as perfect as they think they are?
Hi Peeva,
Hm, yes and no. Can I give you a long answer? 🙂
What you describe actually brings up memories of my own dental experiences in the West (Germany). These dentists *have* to be that fast. The system forces them to maximize their time to the uhm max. It’s a very different business. But I can’t generalize here. In the end I had found a good dentist in Bremen, whom I felt very comfortable with – but yeah, she was very busy, too!
But look how different things can be (I’m also writing this in case other dentists are reading): While I’m typing, my dentist has a patient on the chair and they’re talking about her concerns. They’re just done with their coffee. The lady has a farm outside Manila and brought us a bag of her organic cucumbers 😀 We’re here in the Philippines and there are lots of problems around, but I have come to love the time we can dedicate to each guest. We have 2-hour appointments, and that’s not straight ‘chair time’. Look how much time I have – I can write little essays like this one here 😉 And we’re in a convenient location that’s easy to reach by people with money for quality dental work if that doesn’t sound like a buzz word…
We can afford to study each case in detail, get second opinions, if needed, call them back for monitoring, for final checkups to see if the result is perfect. Many even become friends along the way and we stay in touch. Is that reasonable? I would argue yes, since we’re pretty strong in referrals. If you look at it from a business perspective, it took only 1 year to really build up a patient base here after moving the clinic to the better location. And I mean the very quality-esthetic-conscious Philippine middle- and upper-class here. They love being treated as guests & friends – I have become very hospitality-minded (since my stay in China, 6 years ago, actually). Asia is a different culture indeed…
Interestingly, it was possible, against the common notions and prejudices, to establish high-quality care through high-end materials and global continuing education I’m enjoying, together with my dentist and girlfriend. We’ve had patients from all over the world and we’ve seen really big mess-ups in their mouths when they came in for the first check-up. Mess-ups that really surprise, considering that someone had experienced European or American so-called ‘high-end dentistry’. Prejudices can be wrong.
In Germany, assistants cost a lot of money. Here in Quezon City, we have a great direct teamwork between office management and dentist. I don’t mind handing things to her; she doesn’t mind reaching for them either. Then, the whole complex middle layer of medical insurances is completely missing here! You pay cash, checks, credit card, down payment & the rest upon completion etc. That in turn frees up a looootttttt of time and money that goes *straight* back to the patients.
I’m not saying that medical insurance is bad in general, but looking at what’s possible without all that craziness I’d argue that the Western system isn’t necessarily perfect and might need some reforms. Would be nice for the dentists as well to get rid of some insurance madness.
Much can happen in between dental visits, but what you describe isn’t ‘no sign of anything before and now suddenly a RCT’ but exactly “the filling seemed darker already and nothing was done”. The dentist should have set aside a few of his extremely valuable minutes to check what’s going on. If this had happened in my office, I wouldn’t charge you for the RCT now, at the very least.
And this may also serve as a warning: if you guys are too busy making money in the fastest time possible, your patients will end up in our German-Philippine dental studio. I’m serious about it. Do_not_treat_them_as cash_crops. Quality care is the only reason why people still have expensive treatment in the West. If we offer better treatment quality, where’s your edge gone, then?
hii tom
plz read it carefully
i did my root canal almost “one year ago”
im detailing everything about my problem here.
during root canal treatment my r8 side lower cheek got swollen
n after a week its gone
but after completing my last root canal seating, i had r8 side of cheek swollen
and this swollen is still their from last one year..
i did X-RAY,MRI-SCAN everything is normal .
but this swollen n discomfort is not going from last one year
i consult 3 or 4 dentist no one is able to recognize the problem
some told this will be your life time problem it will reduce by applying heat compression by this u will feel better but it will get worse in cold weather 🙁
plz help me im not able to understand what to do
let me tell you that i chewed large amount of orbitgum, since my face was puffy type so for cheek exercising i did it “before root canal treatment” after root canal i stopped completely having chewinggum n hard food .
i searched a lot about my problem but now im completely hopeless
i dont have any medical issue but this problem is not going
some dentist told that this may be becouse of stress
im just a girl instead of my higher study i dont have any kind of stress
now im just waiting that this swollen will go away on their own
every problem has solution
so in your way is their any solution for my problem plz help
r8 side cheek has swollen ,tightness n some discomfortness some airpressure kind of feeling in my cheek near jaw plz plz plz help is their any solution plz tom
Hi Tanuja – Where exactly is the swelling? Is it next to the tooth with the root canal? Is it from your TMJ? Can you notice the swelling when looking straight into a mirror?
constant swollen is on right side of cheek without pain but with unfortunate feeling of tightness .This feeling is attatch with my ear nerve , u can say near to temporomandibular joint but after having lunch or any food the quantity of swollen in whole r8 cheek gets incresed. 🙁
Dear Tanuja,
I’m not Tom, so I don’t know if my reply violates netiquette here(?) but I love this forum esp. because of the (medically) interesting personal stories like yours.
Root canal treatment is normally a very safe procedure, but it almost sounds as if you have some rare allergy to one of the canal-cleaning or filling agents used. May we know where your treatment was done? India / Asia?
The gum-chewing exercise sounds a little rare, too 🙂 So, in my view, if you have two relatively rare things coinciding, there might be a connection. Has anyone looked into synkinesis due to muscle-nerve rewiring after trauma (the endo procedure)?
What has been actually done to rule out anything?
Has your endo / RCT filling been re-opened? Did the MRI / X-rays really reveal *nothing*? I mean at the very least, the swollen tissue should have showed up there. Can you post a a photo here? If not, can you upload it somewhere public (if you don’t mind – I mean, it’s just an x-ray after all)?
Without looking at the x-ray, we can’t help you much. Would be good to double-check the endo site first.
A quick google later I knew about people who chew gum excessively to try to ‘train’ their facial muscles, to prepare for punches as martial arts fighters etc. But I haven’t come across a valid study of the topic – so all I can say is that you need to be careful with that:
Chewing gum is a healthy habit for your teeth, but if done excessively, it can lead you TMJ-problems (if jaw joints are just a tiny bit mis-calibrated, a lot of chewing exacerbates that).
Swelling after RCT is not normal, but common – google “swelling after r” and it will auto-complete “oot canal treatment” (second position).
Have antibiotics been given directly after RCT?
And, most importantly, which tooth are you talking about? Upper jaw? Sinus involvement maybe?
Looking forward to more input!
Tom, what’s your bet on this? 😉
Nils
Nils – No worries, you can reply all you want! I like your website, especially the human value dentistry approach – that’s some good reading.
Thanks Tom,
I consider our website a work-in-progress thing (I’m working on it in bouts of productivity / inspiration and a major make-over is planned) but thank you! 🙂 🙂
my treatment was done in india .thanks for your reply Mr. Nils sens
no there is nothing like sinus involvement
n yeah i would like to mention that during last seating of root canal my mouth was opened for so long time
i dont have any problem or pain with my tooth, gum or mouth opening too(TMJ)
just the problem which i mentioned in above comment
yeah medically its sound little funny
but believe me im suffering with this unknown fact
i didnt understand the comment about synkinesis due to muscle-nerve rewiring after trauma (the endo procedure)?
Hii Tom and Nils
i havent noticed my MRI SCAN report doctor said its normal
im mentioning here what my MRI scan report is showing
“A plain and contrast-enhancced multiplanar MRI of the supra and infrahyoid neck was performed”
H/0 occasional tightness of the both the jaws.
Remarks:
“Bilateral marginal hypertrophy of the masseter muscles,predominantly on the right side with maximal bulk at the level of ramus of mandible without any focal lesion, possibility of benign masseteric hypertrophy merits consideration”.
i hope this will help you to examine my condition plz let me know what to do now .
Can it be treated Tom 🙁
they said this will be my life threading problem .
should i concern any neurologist .plz do reply
Hi again – sorry for the late reply, I’m not always here.
So, regarding your original post, you’re saying that your “right cheek was swollen after treatment”. And that “the result of the MRI scan was normal”.
Now the new information in your later posts was that there was indeed a finding in the scan: “possibility of benign masseteric hypertrophy merits consideration”. Now, I can’t see the scan result (I mean the actual images) here, but it seems that an anomaly has indeed been found. That’s a piece in the puzzle.
Masseteric hypertrophy translated into common English means “enlargement of the masseter (=chewing) muscle”. Now your original comment about your excessive consumption of chewing gum seems to come back into the picture.
However, you also pointed out that your mouth was open for a “very long time” during the procedure. Really, no breaks? Can you quantify that in hours or minutes?
My synkinesis point was a mere guess since you mentioned a negative MRI scan result etc. but I think the facts point more in the direction of your masseter muscles indeed. You said that the swelling gets worse after chewing food. Sounds logical. And the scan shows something in the masseter area., too.
I would carefully rule out the RCT as a possible cause but please do update us about how many hours they let you open your mouth in procedures over there.
Oh and the next thing is how much gum did you actually chew?
If there had been a malocclusion before, and you totally over-worked it with this ‘chewing exercise’, then you should look at the TMJ a little closer. TMD (temporomand. joint disorders / dysfunctions) can cause problems like headaches, neck aches and pain in other muscles that are remotely connected. In that light,
Have you ever seen an orthodontist? How is your bite? When you bite down, do all your teeth come into contact evenly & more or less at the same time? / how is your tooth alignment? In that sense, you might get a transcranial TMD xray and see if the TMJ has any issues on the right.
These ‘online diagnoses’ are super tricky and without seeing you it’s easy to miss something important / obvious.
Hope it helped, though.
Hi Nils, its okay
thanks for being so kind and all your effort
yeah no breaks, mouth was opened constantly around 10 to 15 minute during last seating of RCT.
Yeah, it’s masseter mascles
Since I was engineering student, so during lectures, classes and at home I had habit of chewing gum so that I will be remain fresh and could study late night as well as exercise 🙁
So u can imagine how much I chewed gum.
gum chewing process was constant for 1 month after 3rd year during placement training process otherwise it was occasionally.
I searched on bilateral masseter hypertrophy n I found that it can be treated in 2 ways ( surgically/nonsurgically by orthodontist)
nonsurgically= it can be treated by either radiofrequency electrocoagulation or by injecting botulinum toxin-A
I dont have idea how much I am r8
n yeah ill look more on tmj/tmd but I don’t have any kind of pain in any muscles
n yeah teeth comes into contact most of time during night or whenever I try to sleep at that time whole teeth comes to contact tightly from last 5 week
My dentist send me to the surgion,
Tuesday I mean tomorrow 30 sep
They r going to take sialography x-ray of mine just to be sure, is there any duct in my salivary gland
but I don’t think
This would help me out lets see its mainly about masseter muscle
H
yea
Hi Tom,
I had a root canal and all porcelain crowns put on two years ago. And I loved how natural they looked. But a couple months after I’ve noticed that they have turned greyish at the root. The bottom still looks very natural but near the gum line it doesnt. I love the way the crowns look. I just don’t like the greyish. I went to my dentist and they told me they can try replacing them but they don’t garantee that the crown won’t turn greyish at the gum line again since I have root canals on them. And that replacing my crowns may make my teeth fragile and that they can break my teeth. Any advice? I just wish the gum line wasn’t greyish than I would’ve loved the way they look. And I’m really scared to try again because maybe they won’t look as natural as they do now. Or maybe they will just turn grey again. And I’m afraid that replacing my crowns too much will break my teeth. Do you recommend me changing them or just leaving them alone. (If I do change them, this will be my third time)
Tom, this one is yours, I’m a bit busy 😉
Victoria, change your dentist & your crown! In 2014 no one has to have teeth / crowns turning grey any more 🙂 Go to anyone who’s confident with cosmetic dentistry, this is a cosmetic concern (hopefully) not a messed up RCT.
1) peri-apical xray to check if the RCT is really A-OK
2) internal bleaching if RCT causes discoloration
3) really all-porcelain or did they save on the lab?
2.1) too thin cervical margin of crown?
3) has post & core been done?
hard to diagnose w/o photo and xray… :/
Regards
Hi Tom, my daughter knocked out her adult front tooth about 4 months ago. She was playing outside and fell on the driveway . The tooth came clean out. I washed it with cold water and put it back into place , and then brought her to an emergency dentist . She had several visits during the following weeks. He had put a temporary wire across her front tooth to hold it in position. The dentist advised that she would need root canal treatment . We were away for 2 months over the summer and now are back home and need to get it sorted out. The tooth has not discolored, and does not cause her any pain. I am looking for some advise as to the best course of action. The dentist had taken an xray showing some dark areas around the root. If we get her root canal treatment, is the tooth likely to discoloration ?, is there any rush to get the root canal done ?, what would be the possible risks of leaving it and waiting to see how it goes. I am trying to find the best solution for her, she is only 8, and I don’t want to rush into anything which is irreversible, but I don’t want to do nothing in case there are risks . Thank you, paul
Hi.
im 22 years old female. i broke my front tooth when i was 15 and a root canal was done. everything went perfect. I had no problems. there is still no pain except now its turning yellow and im really shy of even smiling because of the color difference. some dentists are suggesting me to put a crown on my front tooth where as some suggest the bleach treatment. I personally dont want the crown treatment because i only lost half of my tooth and the other half was filling plus a root canal of that tooth was also done. now, if i put a crown it would completely destroy my real teeth. it gonna decay right. so i personally would prefer the bleach treatment.
what would you suggest? I will wait for your advice.
much appreciated!
Thanks paul 🙂
I’ve just had CFAST braces fitted, I’m 28 – never had any issues with coloring but now my tooth right beside my front teeth has darkened in color and is very sensitive – my dentist x-rayed and said the tooth isn’t damaged – it may just be reacting to the pressure of the braces so he’s taken it off that tooth for a few weeks.
He has said it may need a root canal if it is an infection but at this stage he can’t tell – is this a common occurrence for someone getting braces or have they been fitted incorrectly?
Hi Tom,
I had RCT when I was 16, at 18 I had internal and external bleaching done to get the teeth all the one colour. I kept up the external bleaching on a 3 month basis to ensure colour of teeth stayed the same. I haven’t bleached it in 6 months now and the discolouration has returned. A mustard yellow colour. Will continuous bleaching of the tooth forever weaken it or cause harm? I’m am not sure If bleaching thr RCT tooth alone will achieve the exact same colour as the other teeth so is there any additionAl option that isn’t too costly? Thank you
I had done internal bleaching on a front tooth with a root canal about a month ago and when I finished the tooth looked so so much better than its yellow old self – BUT – sadly, only a month later the tooth looks the same again.
I am so frustrated because I paid alot of money and it’s really discouraging for me to talk to people with confidence and have this big yellow tooth right in the centre of my mouth.
I have spoken to a friend of mine who have been a dentist assistant for quite some time now and she said to me that they’ve never had that happen in their practice and that she doesn’t see why the tooth wont bleach? Is this something I should be worried about? Should my doctor be able to get the tooth white or are there times when internal bleaching fail on a tooth and then I have to obviously consider another method?
I am going back to my dentist today to show her (she was on leave and returned over the weekend) So I will discuss it with her but really I need some second opinions on this please!
Hope to get some help asap.
Thanks so much.
D
Hi Darius – This is common. Many times we have to put the medicine in a few different times to get the desired results. Hopefully you try it again. There are always more invasive options if this doesn’t work, but I like to start with this ideally. Good luck!
I just had route canal done today, the tip of my tooth is dark grey, what is it and should it be like that?
A while back, around 15 years ago i had a trauma to my front right tooth and it chipped the end, i went to the dentist and they said the nerve had not been exposed but they put a filling on to make it look normal again.
In the last 15 years i have had the filling replaced once as it was only a temporary measure but the last filling i have had for about 11 years now.
The tooth has started to feel strange like a dull numbness although i can still feel cold and touch etc.
I have started using sensodyne as i am feeling a senstiveness to all my teeth at the moment but i just wonder if you could advise if you have heard of anything like this before and if you could give me an idea as to whether you think i may need root canal treatment?
Thanks,
Sherry.
Hi i had a root canal about 12 years ago then i had to get it done again 1 year ago by an Entadontist. My tooth is very discolored so in the process of crowns. The problem is my gum above the root canal is also discolored and looks awful its my font tooth. Is there anything that can be done to the gum to get rid of the grey discoloration?
A year and a half ago, I fell and broke 3 of my front top teeth. I ended up having to get 2 root canals and had to have crowns put on all 3 front teeth. They looked amazing! Until recently, the past 4 months or so, the 2 teeth that had the root canals done, have started to look dark. Looking closely at them, it appears that the actual tooth, or tooth structure I have left over is turning dark inside!
I have a light small brown spots of the root of my teeth I don’t know want it is can you help me out please
Hi Tom! I recently had root canals on my 4 front teeth. In each tooth, most of the dentin were replaced with fillings. My dentist said that since there are no dentins left only enamel, bleaching might not work on the tooth and we should put a crown on each to prevent discoloration. Is this true? Are there no other ways to whiten the teeth except crowns? Thanks!
i had my front tooth broken , got RCT and a crown over it about 6-7 years ago . the tooth has become greyish black . what should i do now /?
Hi, I had an old filling and the dentist took it out, he took pictures of the whole saying I had a decay, and he cleaned it, but after he cleaned it it was still brown inside, he said is demineralisation and no decay left because he cleaned the soft parts. Then he covered it with a new filling. My question is, to be free of decay, should he had removed all the brown inside, or was he right in saying that, even, if is still brown inside the tooth is free of decay?
Several months back, my tooth next to one of my front teeth started bothering me like a constant tooth-ache so I went to my dentist and he said I needed a root canal but didn’t quite know which tooth was the one giving me the problem? Anyway he did the root canal therapy ( over $600.00 dollars ) and after about a month that particular tooth started to discolor. That tooth was not discolored before the root canal and at times
it still bothers me like the same as when I went in to see the dentist. He tells me that the tooth he thought was the one bothering me has a crown on it and there is nothing he can do? Please reply to me. Thank you!
Hi! I had a root canal 6 years ago on my upper left 1st molar. It was done with a composite filler and I don’t have a crown on it yet. This was done because of internal resorption. I went back to the endodontist the following year b.c I had some sensation that I could still feel since the root canal. The tooth showed no sign of infection so he said all was well. Ever since then I have had some sensation from time to time, mild and not painful. I could get it to do this on request by pushing up on the tooth and then on release I would feel the same sensation that sometimes would happen, so I decided that it must be something to do with my sinuses – I often get sinus infections and my teeth roots/nerves are high up into the sinus. Just recently (for several weeks) I have started feeling a different sensation, more constant… a kind of full feeling. I can’t explain it, but it feels different. I had a look a few weeks ago worrying that I had cracked the tooth or the filler but it seemed fine. I have been poking my tongue around it ever since, I can’t explain it but it has just felt different and I have been aware of it. When I went to have another look this morning I noticed that is has gone black where it meets the gums, is black on the inner side and grey everywhere else. I phoned the endodontist and he gave me a dentist to see, I saw him this afternoon and he said the x-ray looked fine with no infection. He mentioned how high my roots go into the sinus and suggested the sensation I have always felt could be coming from there. He, as well as the endodontist said that the tooth probably went this colour a long time ago after the root canal. However, I am an extremely visually observant person there is no way I wouldn’t notice this. It is the last tooth visible in my smile, I also would 100% have noticed when I checked it out a few weeks ago. I am 100% certain this has happened within that time, if not much sooner. To complicate things in regards to the sensation I feel, I have had a lot of reoccurring shingles infections over the last year with post herpetic neuralgia so I am aware this could be playing a part. My shingles do not present typically, I get round red circles that follow along the nerve lines. I only had one to start with which was on my tempal and presented like a flat blood blister, after that I got many more but they are more just red skin in circles. I have a bleeding disorder called Von Willberbrands disease, so am prone to bleeds. I am just wondering if you think it is perfectly normal for a tooth to suddenly blacken 6 years after a root canal? Or if you think there could be a possibility that blood could get in from the sinus cavity or elsewhere? Or any other opinions you might have? Like I said it has been feeling unusual for a few weeks now, i’m sure it is fine but I have a complicated medical history where I have multiple times been told something is fine only to be told later on that it is something more serious in nature, or unusual. I am meant to be getting the tooth crowned in porcelain in a few weeks.
I would greatly appreciate your comments and opinion!! Thank you for your time.
Regards,
Nerina
I chipped my two front teeth almost a year ago from falling. I chipped them pretty badly but my dentist was able to make them look pretty much back to normal with filling I guess? He told me that since there was trauma to the teeth that it is possible for them to die at any time after the incident, even a few years. I haven’t noticed any discoloration yet but they are still sore every once in a while. I went today to get my regular cleaning and when they took X-rays, they said the roots don’t look like they should. Then my dentist told me that they were dying and that there might be an infection in there. How can he tell if there’s an infection? He recommends doing root canals soon. I’ve read a lot of posts talking about how their tooth turned grey after a root canal and I’m worried that’s what going to happen to me 🙁 I’m only in my 20s and really don’t want to have 2 grey/black teeth…..My dentist said he wants to do the internal bleaching but I’m wondering if that’s once it starts to discolor?
Thank you,
Emily
I have been recommended for root canal treatment, for my front tooth because of irreversible pulpitis. But I have heard tht tooth may get discoloured after root canal treatment. One dentist asked me for zyconium filling after RTC and told me that it will reduce risk of discolourationand other told me about amalgam filling after RTC, Please tell me, which one is best??? I m very afraid because it is my front tooth and it is white before RTC.
In one accident my two front tooth was broken 60%.
so i consulted to Doctor and his recommended to me to done root canal of both the tooth and to put crowns.
Immedetly After root canal before fixing crowns (that is next day of the completion of root canal) at that time my one teeth was coloured a mix of orange and reddish
The same I shown to doctor and he said that something which I didn’t able to understood properly and finally he removed my that particular teeth so my doubt is that doctor made mistake during my root canal
So please tell me is my doubt correct? If not then tell me reason to beyond that
Hi , I just had a root canal done on my front tooth and I am starting the procedure of injecting whitening in to my front tooth but I would like to know how many times aday can I inject it or is there a best time of day pls
Hi,
I am a 28 years old, and eight years ago I had a root canal performed on an abscessed tooth. One of my molars near the back of my mouth (not sure which one specifically). Anyways, I have never had any problem with it aside from the fact that I had a crown put on twice both of which eventually cracked and just essentially fell off. The last time the crown fell off I just left it since it has not ever caused me any pain and still doesn’t. However, I recently noticed that it has eventually turned a dark grayish color. Is this something I should be concerned about even if I don’t have any pain? Is it a sign of infection and if so should I have it extracted?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Erica
Hi Tom! May I have your opinion please? I had a root canal treatment 5 years ago on my front tooth. It discoloured to a yellowish-grey within 2 years and my dentist then recommended for a crown to be put on. The crown started to discolour to a dark grey over 3 years. I recently went to a different dentist and we found that the previous dentist has put in a metal post into the tooth, which probably caused the discolouration. The metal post was taken out and replaced with a fiberglass post, the tooth was bleached internally and a new crown was put back on. However, it started to discolour to a greyish hue within a week. The said dentist was rather mystified but concluded that there may be some remnants of the ions from the metal post still lodged within the tooth/surrounding gums. He recommended that I return after a few months to re-do the bleaching and crown but does not guarantee that the tooth will not discolour again. I am curious to know what is your opinion as to the cause of the discolouration and of course, I hope there may be some way to ensure that the tooth does not discolour again. Thanks in advance for your kind advice. – Andrea
m having pain in one of my front tooth as the filling has worn out. My orthodontist prescribed me some medicine after the x-ray saying its a very minute injury and would filled it up again. Now what scares me is that he said if the pain doesn’t subside he going to root canal my teeth. I have seen blackening of one of my teeth due to RCTC. I don’t want to put a crown to this teeth. so like if its really a minute injury Then is there any possibility that only filling would work out????
Hi I need urgent advice!! 15 years ago I had a root canal done and of course the tooth turned black very gradually over the years so my dentist recommended internal bleaching. So last Tuesday I had the tooth drilled out and sent home with my hydrogen peroxide filled syringes and fitted tray and instructions to refill the tooth etc every two hours and due back on Tuesday again. Today is Sunday. Last night when I took off the tray there was a strange rust/brown substance in the tray so I thiought maybe my tooth had been bleeding and got a mirror to have a look… well the whole root canal seal has gone I can see right up the two root canals!!!!!HELP what do I do it’s Sunday. I know it will all have to be refilled but can it wait until Tuesday, what’s the risk of infection and with a new root seal will it just discolour again.. omg not to mention the cost . ANYONE HELP!!
Hello,
I injured one of my top front teeth a few years ago and since then it became slightly darker, but not very much. My dentist recommended a root canal since the tooth was ‘dead’. I got the root canal this June and since then the tooth has darkened considerably. I went back to the dentist who had mentioned that I might need internal bleaching later. He then said that it is too dark to bleach and I should get a crown.
The day I went for the crown he said that he had spoken with one of his colleagues because he was worried about the position of the rod he’d put into the tooth during the root canal. On the x-ray it looked like the top part was going through the root into the gums by about a millimeter or two.
He said because of this he is worried about the structural integrity of the tooth and therefore cannot do the crown. He drilled back into the tooth and tried to remove the rod, but the top part broke off and is still stuck in my tooth. He then put another rod in (maybe more than one) to form a kind of blockage and did some bleaching and etching. When he was done the tooth looked almost white again! Unfortunately, since then (a week ago) it has become steadily grayer and today I noticed that the gums above my tooth are a bit sensitive when even the slightest pressure is put on the tooth.
I have already capped out my medical aid trying to get this fixed and wanted to hear what you think about the situation. Any help or advice welcome!
Hi i have had a root canal done a few years back and my front tooth is very badly discoloured (yellow) i have since when bacj for 7 sessions of internal and external bleaching and they have never worked was wondering what i could try and do next as it has cost me a lot of money so far and i feel as if the colour is darking. Thanks lynsey
Hi, i am 16 years old and i am getting a root canal done on my 2 front teeth due to trauma. Unfortunately when i was younger i was hit the face with a softball causing my nerves in my teeth to slowly “decay” as my dentist says. I am very very nervous to do this procedure mostly because I have many unanswered questions. 1) how long does it take after the procedure for the tooth to become discolored? 2) is there any possibility that the tooth will not become discolored? 3) how long do you have to wait to be able to put a crown on? 4) will it look natural? 5) how to you prevent the grey discoloration from the crown? If you could please answer these questions that would be great(:
Hi sir. I’M using after 3month removable teeth pin clips. But 15days to my front teeth is dark pink. But doctors are suggest RCT what is right decision. Plz help me