Q. I have two questions I would like you to answer if you would be kind enough. 1 – When my 15 year old daughter had her fixed retainers removed last month, it became apparent that one of her front teeth was dark grey. It was the same colour as all her other teeth before orthodontic treatment. During treatment, following tightening of the retainers, she often had pain for a few days and also experienced bleeding in that area. As she has never fallen or hit that tooth, could it be the orthodontic treatment itself that caused this problem? 2 – The orthodontist referred her to our dentist who tested the tooth and says it is alive. She recommended tooth whitening (smile-x) on just that one tooth. Since the tooth is not stained, I don’t see how this will help. Surely, it will just make it look a lighter grey? The dentist said she will have to do this treatment every two months for the rest of her life, which is quite a commitment. I do not want her to have veneers. What would you recommend? Thank you for your time.

A. I’m not sure what the best thing to do is. I would try the whitening but use a small tray with whitening gel placed only on this tooth. Then she could wear the tray 1 night a month to keep the colour topped up??

Dr Andrew Moore
Advance Dental Clinic
Clinical Director
www.advancedentalclinic.com
Tel: 01245 268 494
104 Moulsham Street
Chelmsford Essex
CM2 0JG