I have been using Crest Whitestrips. It was going fine, but then I started having some tooth pain. I went to my dentist and he gave me a cold test that I failed. He feels I need a root canal treatment. He also said I have a cavity which is making me wonder if that could be the cause of needing the root canal treatment. Either way, I have stopped whitening and now I need to get this extra work done. To be honest, the whitestrips weren’t helping that much anyway. I still have the brown spots on my teeth that I was hoping they would fix.
Lindsey
Dear Lindsey,
So, it is probably a combination of both of those issues. If your tooth was weak from decalcification, which is a precursor to decay, the whitening strips could have entered through that area and led to affecting the pulp of your tooth. A cold test is definitely an indication of needing a root canal treatment. However, the white strips have such a weak ingredient that I would be surprised if that is what caused the need for your root canal, though anything is possible.
There is a reason the Crest Whitestrips were not working on your brown spots and it is not just because of how weak their whitening ingredient is. It’s because teeth whitening will whiten teeth evenly, so it would actually make the brown spots more evident, even if you had professional teeth whitening done.
The solution to brown spots on your teeth, depending on the amount and depth of color will either be dental bonding for small spots, or porcelain veneers for more severe discoloration, such as you’d get with tetracycline stains.
Get your root canal treatment done, then go to a cosmetic dentist for a consultation on your brown spots.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.