Dental trauma often stems from a fall or sports injury. A traumatic dental injury can be minor, such as a chipped tooth, or it can be major, such as severe tooth cracks or fractures.
Whatever the dental injury might be, it always requires a prompt trip to see endodontist Robert Scott Nance, DDS, MS, PA, at our practices in Statesville and Hickory, North Carolina, for a thorough exam and proper treatment. For major dental trauma, quick treatment could be the difference between saving a tooth and needing it to be extracted.
Unfortunately, injured teeth often darken and turn gray. The grayish tint often indicates that the internal components of the affected tooth have been damaged. But if you seek treatment soon after an injury, Dr. Nance can examine the tooth and recommend a quick course of action, which can include internal repair and internal bleaching.
In this month’s blog, our team discusses why dental trauma can discolor teeth and how internal bleaching can help.
Your teeth are alive. The innermost portion of each tooth is called the pulp, which contains nerves and blood vessels that provide the tooth with vitality.
Although the tough exterior of your tooth, called enamel, is capable of protecting the sensitive pulp chamber, if your tooth’s surface becomes compromised in any way, the pulp is vulnerable to inflammation and infection.
Severe cracks and fractures from dental trauma provide the perfect access point for harmful bacteria to reach the inside of your tooth. If the pulp becomes inflamed and infected, the nerves and blood vessels can die, turning your tooth gray.
Aside from bacterial infection, the dental injury may also be severe enough to damage the nerves and blood vessels, causing them to die and turn your tooth gray.
Before the discoloration of your tooth can be addressed, the pulp damage has to be treated with root canal therapy.
During a root canal, Dr. Nance cleans out the inner chamber of your tooth and addresses any infection. Once the damaged or dead nerves and blood vessels have been removed, Dr. Nance can move on to the bleaching process.
Internal bleaching consists of applying a sodium perborate paste inside the affected tooth. The substance effectively removes the staining and restores your tooth’s beautiful white hue. Then, Dr. Nance finishes the root canal process by sealing your tooth, protecting it from repeat infection and further damage.
To address a traumatic dental injury and subsequent discoloration, schedule an emergency dental appointment by calling your nearest office location today.
