I have a problem with my teeth whitening and I can’t figure out what’s going on. I had whitening done and had great results. But, I smoke a lot so they needed a touch-up. I decided to try white strips, because it was just a touch-up and didn’t want to spend full price. All my teeth are perking up except one. Instead, it’s rapidly deteriorating and looks gray. Have you encountered this? I’ve even been wearing the strips overnight with no change.
Azida W. – Arkansas
Azida,
First, I just want to make sure you’re using whitestrips that have been approved for overnight use. Some are. Those that aren’t should only be worn for a maximum of thirty minutes.
If the tooth is graying, it’s likely because it is either dead or dying. That often happens when the tooth has experienced some form of trauma. That tooth won’t whiten. You could leave the whitening on 24/7 and it won’t change.
If the tooth has died, it’s going to need a root canal treatment. After this is done, you can address the color with more success.
For future reference, if you’ve kept your teeth whitening trays from when you had it done at the dentist’s office, you can very affordably do touch-ups. Your dentist will just charge you for some new gel.
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