Teeth whitening is a popular cosmetic treatment that offers a simple, safe, and effective way to give you a better smile. However, when it comes to whitening a tooth that is affected by injury or trauma, whitening can be a challenging procedure to perform. This is because traumatized teeth may react differently to whitening treatments.
At the Center One Dental in Canonsburg, PA, we offer specialized whitening procedures for traumatized teeth. 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.
In many cases, tooth discoloration may indicate an underlying problem in the tooth structure, such as damage to the pulp. In such cases, a root canal procedure is performed to remove the infected pulp. Sometimes, a tooth that has undergone a root canal may start discoloring months after the treatment. In both these cases, a procedure called internal bleaching is performed to whiten the tooth.
With internal bleaching, or “inside-out tooth whitening,” the bleaching agent is put inside the traumatized tooth. To perform this procedure, Dr. Raj will gain access to the tooth’s pulp chamber by making a small hole in the back of the tooth. Any debris will be removed and rinsed before he adds a special cement that will prevent the whitening agent from leaking into the roots. After this, the whitening agent is put in and the pulp chamber is sealed. This procedure will be repeated after a few days until the desired shade has been achieved. Once the tooth has been whitened, a tooth-colored filling or another similar restoration is placed over the hole created in the tooth.
To receive the appropriate whitening treatment for your stained, discolored, and traumatized teeth, schedule an appointment at Center One Dental in Canonsburg, PA.
