Healthy human teeth are usually a slightly yellowish shade of off-white, but it is possible for them to develop an unpleasant gray color due to factors like injury and infection. Thankfully, your dentist is trained and equipped to resolve this problem with effective cosmetic dental treatments. Here’s a quick look at how teeth can turn gray and how your dentist can make your smile shiny and white.
What Can Turn Teeth Gray?
One or more teeth may turn gray due to factors like:
- Tetracycline: This antibiotic may lead to gray dental discoloration if it is given to children before their teeth are fully developed or if a person’s mother took it during pregnancy.
- Dental restorations: Amalgam fillings and metal crowns may sometimes cause gray discoloration.
- Root canal medications: Some drugs used during the root canal process may lead to grayish discoloration.
- Injury: An injury that cuts a tooth off from its blood flow can lead to it dying and turning gray, and this may happen months or possibly years after the damage occurs.
- Tooth decay: A severe dental infection may kill the tooth and cause it to turn gray.
- Genetic conditions: Dentinogenesis imperfecta is a rare disorder that causes a person to be born with weak, blue-gray teeth.
How Can My Dentist Brighten Gray Teeth?
Luckily, today’s dentists offer a range of incredible dental treatments that can address graying of teeth. These include:
- Porcelain veneers: These amazing devices can completely transform your smile by concealing defects like cracks, chips, stains, gaps, and misshapenness.
- Metal-free dental crowns: These appliances are similar to veneers, but they are typically applied to the teeth in the back of the mouth rather than those in the front.
- Teeth whitening: Using powerful whitening agents to ensure amazing results and customized dental trays to prevent irritation and discomfort, your dentist can lift stubborn stains and brighten your smile by up to eight shades. This treatment can come in the form of an in-office procedure that takes about an hour or a take-home kit that can be completed in about two weeks.
Don’t let frustrating dental stains and discoloration make you anxious about smiling. After a brief consultation, your dentist will be able to recommend a treatment that can help you achieve your ideal grin.
About the Author
Dr. Nicholas Brong earned his dental degree at the University of California at San Franciso and completed a nine-week externship covering examinations, restorations, extractions, and emergency care. He is a proud member of the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. His office in Rochester offers general, restorative, emergency, and cosmetic dental services. To schedule your consultation for cosmetic dentistry, contact his office online or dial (507) 288-1066.
