A 27-year-old male patient came to Serenity Dental Spa concerned about his upper right canine tooth (tooth #6), which had turned gray over several months. Although he experienced no pain, the discoloration was affecting his confidence when he smiled.
1. The Issue & Cause
Dr. Pashmini’s examination and X-rays revealed an infection inside the tooth despite the patient’s lack of symptoms. The patient had played sports throughout high school, and trauma during that time had likely damaged the nerve inside the tooth. Over the years, the injured nerve died, causing both the infection and the gray discoloration.
2. Conservative Treatment Solution
Previous dentists had recommended a crown or veneer to cover the discolored tooth—both options requiring removal of healthy tooth structure. Instead, Dr. Pashmini chose a more conservative approach using internal bleaching.
First, she performed root canal treatment to remove the infected nerve tissue and seal the tooth. Then, rather than covering the tooth with a restoration, she used internal bleaching to whiten the tooth from the inside out.
3. Remarkable Tooth Color Results
The results were dramatic. After just one internal bleaching treatment, performed 10 days after the root canal, the tooth’s color transformed from gray back to its natural shade, perfectly matching the surrounding teeth.
This conservative approach preserved all of the patient’s natural tooth structure while achieving perfect color correction at a fraction of the cost and time required for crowns or veneers.
4. Impact on Our Patient’s Quality of Life
Internal bleaching demonstrates Dr. Pashmini’s commitment to preserving natural teeth whenever possible. This advanced technique, not available at every practice, allowed the patient to keep his natural tooth while achieving the aesthetic results he wanted.
The patient was thrilled with both the natural appearance of his restored smile and the conservative treatment that avoided unnecessary drilling of healthy tooth structure.
Have a Discolored Tooth? Dr. Pashmini Can Help
Concerned about a discolored tooth? Contact Serenity Dental Spa at (703) 313-7000 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Pashmini and explore conservative treatment options that preserve your natural teeth, allowing you to smile confidently.
