What can be done to improve the appearance of a dead tooth?
If a tooth has had a very deep filling, is heavily decayed or has suffered trauma there is a risk of the nerve inside the tooth dying. If this occurs bacteria is able to take the place of the nerve causing infection and often leads to discolouration of the tooth a result. So what can be done to treat this?
The first priority for any dead tooth should be having the bacteria and infection present cleaned out and the tooth sealed through root canal treatment- this will also prevent or resolve any pain from the infection. Once this has been done the course of action depends on the position of the tooth in question.
Back teeth are required to take a lot of force in day to day use therefore it is recommended that after root canal treatment they are crowned to hold the tooth together and protect the root canal filling. Without this there is a risk of the tooth shattering. Advancements in the strength of porcelain materials mean that exceptionally life like crowns can now be made to restore the appearance of back teeth as well as giving them strength.
When it comes to treating front teeth the course of action is often slightly different. Firstly these teeth are much more visible thus it is very important that any treatment gives a fantastic cosmetic result. Treatment for these teeth normally begins with internal bleaching which involves whitening the tooth from the inside out to try to remove the discolouration from the bacteria that used to be in the tooth to return it to its original condition. This is often best combined with regular external tooth whitening so can be done in combination with tooth whitening for the rest of your teeth. There are however limitations to how much improvement you can achieve with whitening and sometimes after treatment patients can still be unhappy with the appearance of the dead tooth.
If you are still not quite happy with the appearance of the tooth then further treatment may be needed which will often take the form of a veneer. A veneer is an artificial thin layer of porcelain custom made by the lab to improve the appearance of the underlying tooth. They do involve some preparation of the underlying tooth and last for between 5 and 10 years but can last longer if maintained and give a great cosmetic appearance as a result.