My chipped tooth turns gray after root canal treatment. Why?
Patient's Query
Hi doctor,
When I was young I tripped and chipped my tooth. It was when I was 20 years old that I got braces and the dentist told me I had to get a root canal for that specific tooth. She said that the tooth was dead already. I thought it was just a chipped tooth because it looked normal and did not show any discoloration at all. Then after the root canal that tooth starts turning gray. Now that I had gotten out of my braces it really got me worried that the discolored tooth is really obvious. It also got me thinking that I should not have done a root canal cause before it looks normal but now it is really gray. Can this dentist be wrong about my tooth?
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
When you banged your tooth and part of it chipped away, the pulp or the core of nerves and blood vessels that provide nourishment to the tooth probably died. It is not possible to judge this now but your dentist must have done the required tests to come up with this diagnosis. The discoloration that you noticed following root canal treatment could be due to decomposition of pulp remnants left inside the tooth following treatment. The problem can be solved in different ways. You may try first internal bleaching which is a form of tooth whitening directed at the inner part of the tooth. If this fails you can think of a veneer or even an aesthetic (tooth-colored) crown to mask the discoloration of your tooth.
Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!
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