How to treat a darkened tooth after trauma or root canal treatment

The darkened tooth is a more frequent condition in children, which usually happens after a direct trauma to the tooth caused by a fall or a strong blow to the mouth, for example.

However, tooth darkening can also happen in adults, the most common causes of which include the use of some types of medication, especially antibiotics, root canal treatments or frequent intake of food or drinks that can stain teeth. See more about this type of food and what to do.

What can be the darkened tooth

The appearance of a darkened tooth can have several causes, however, the most common include:

Bumps on the tooth: when there is a direct trauma to the teeth, such as during a fall or a traffic accident or in sports, for example, it is common for the tooth to bleed inside, causing a darker color; Caries: some caries that appear at the bottom or behind the tooth can cause the tooth to darken without the characteristic appearance of caries; Tartar: the accumulation of bacterial plaque can make the tooth darker; Use of some medicines, such as antibiotics: they can have the side effect of darkening the tooth Root canal treatment: although it is more common for the tooth to be dark before treatment, due to the decrease in blood going to the tooth, in some cases, the tooth may be slightly darker than normal after root canal treatment; Infection in the pulp of the tooth: it is also known as pulpitis, which can hinder the circulation of blood to the tooth, darkening it.

In addition, some lifestyle habits, such as drinking too much coffee, making use of tobacco or drinking red wine very often, can also cause a gradual darkening of the teeth over time.

As a person ages, they can also get darker teeth, due to the loss of tooth minerals.

How to whiten the darkened tooth

In the case of more temporary situations, such as strokes, root canal treatment or accumulation of tartar, tooth coloration usually returns to normal over time, and it is important to maintain proper oral hygiene.

However, if the tooth becomes dark due to other causes such as tooth decay or infection of the pulp of the tooth, it is very important to consult the dentist to identify the problem and start the most appropriate treatment. This type of causes can be identified with a simple observation of the teeth by the dentist, or through complementary exams, such as X-rays of the mouth.

After treatment, it is normal for the tooth to return to its previous color. However, if the color remains dark, even after a few weeks, the dentist may indicate some type of treatment to lighten the tooth, such as:

1. Tooth whitening

This treatment is usually used to treat stains caused by eating food or drinks and can be done in the doctor's office or at home, with the help of drips created by the dentist.

This type of whitening is not effective if there has been trauma to the tooth or if a root canal treatment has been carried out, because in these cases necrosis of the dental pulp may have occurred. In these cases, you can choose to perform an internal whitening.

Both external and internal bleaching are not effective on stains caused by ingesting tetracyclines.

2. Resin restorations

In case of trauma, root canal treatment or taking medications that have caused the tooth to darken, resin veneers can be applied to the teeth and then do an external whitening, in order to improve the results.

However, this type of treatment is only recommended when the darkening that takes place in a permanent tooth. This is because, if the darkening occurs in a child's baby tooth, it is usually enough to wait for the tooth to fall and the permanent tooth to grow, which should have a normal color.

3. Porcelain restorations

If the teeth are too dark, they should not be covered with resin veneers, as they will not be enough to mask the tooth color. In these cases, you can choose to place dental veneers in porcelain.

When to go to the dentist

It is advisable to go to the dentist when there is a suspicion that the darkening of the tooth has arisen due to caries, tooth infection, use of medications or accumulation of bacterial plaque, as these are situations that need more specific treatment.

In other situations, it is recommended to consult the dentist when the tooth does not return to normal color after a few weeks or when other symptoms appear, such as: