I went to the dentist with some tooth pain. He did an x-ray and said he couldn’t see any issue, but based on the symptoms I described it’s likely cracked. He did a crown and told me if the symptoms didn’t alleviate I’d need to return for a root canal. It’s been a month and the pain hasn’t subsided. One distressing thing I have noticed is the tooth next to the crown has started turning gray. Do you think the emergency dentist did something to damage the adjacent tooth?
Maggie – New Hampshire
Maggie,
I don’t think the emergency dentist did anything to damage it. There is a possibility of a misdiagnosis and it was actually the adjacent tooth that was the problem. However, the more likely scenario is that both teeth were damaged at the same time, and it’s just taking time to show the problem. A graying tooth generally means the tooth is dead or dying. It will need a root canal. If you don’t get the bacteria that’s causes the problem out, an infection will blow up on you.
If you suspect a misdiagnosis, you can take the x-rays to another dentist to be viewed. If he sees an obvious issue that was missed, you can ask for your money back from the original crown procedure.
This blog is brought to you by Dr. Fred Arnold.