Tooth Darkening after Root Canal

Once you approach your dentist with a relatively minor or even a near serious dental problem such as tooth decay or accidental loosening of tooth due to trauma, he will most likely suggest a root canal for you. Although tooth darkening is considered to be one of the major side effects of this form of treatment, it is still favoured over other more complicated forms which involve painful extractions and probably hospitalisations as well. The reasons could be many.

• To begin with, it is a fast and smooth process which can be carried out through multiple sittings in the dentist’s chamber itself.
• Despite the problems, you can still retain your original tooth, albeit in a different shape and form.
• The medical process involved is relatively simple and can be completed quite easily by administering local anaesthesia.

Treating Discoloured Tooth

Root canal treatments can often give rise to tooth discolouration. This can be caused due to the lack of precision on the part of the dentist. Sometimes the dentist may not have removed a portion of the pulp or the nerve tissue during the operative procedure. Although this does not have any harmful repercussions as far as the fate of the root canal or the general health of the affected tooth is considered, the resultant aftermath could be ugly dental stains. Tooth staining can occur due to various reasons. Non persistent ones can be easily treated with the help of tooth bleaches, over-the-counter whiteners, whitening toothpastes and some such simple remedies.

However, such external applications may not exhibit satisfactory results in cases of tooth darkening after root canal. Such cases will definitely require a more specialised and internalised treatment for noticeable results. The treatment for such dental stains can be administered through the following sequential steps:

• One needs to visit a dentist; preferably the one who has performed the earlier operation. The first thing he would do is to remove the dental fillings and clean the pulp or the dental tissue which has remained within. The entire pulp needs to be cleaned with absolute precision.
• Once the cause of discolouration has been eliminated, the next step is damage control. You can choose to whiten the discoloured tooth with hydrogen peroxide, which is considered to be an effective whitener. Using carbamide peroxide is also an option. The whitening should be done in such a way so that the colour of the tooth matches those of the rest. It is important to ensure a uniform shade of white. Or else, the whitened teeth might just stick out like a sore thumb, spoiling your entire look!
• Once the whitening job is complete, fresh fillings need to go in, for sealing the cavity. The task is completed only after the cavity has been secured to perfection.

Tooth darkening is a common aftermath of this sort of treatment. However, the good news is that it can be addressed effectively through simple remedies such as the one explained above. Always remember to seek expert guidance for treating such specific dental stains.

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