Peg shaped front teeth

[Gina L]

Dear dentist,

I have two peg shaped front teeth, which I think is genetic as my father also has them. I’m 23 years old, and hoping to do modelling so the appearance of my teeth is very important. Recently the tooth became discoloured and my dentist said that the tooth needs root canal treatment.

However he did say that the tooth will probably discolour after root canal treatment and might need some cosmetic dentistry afterwards. However I am nervous of dental treatment and would rather not undergo anything too complex. What cosmetic dental treatment do you recommend? Do you think that the tooth will definitely discolour after root canal treatment?

[Dr Mohsen J. Esfahani]

Teeth can discolour after root canal treatment and in the case of front teeth, this will need to be corrected if its important to the patient.

To manage discoloured root filled teeth, you could try internal bleaching, inside outside bleaching, composite/porcelain veneer treatment or a crown. If a lot of tooth tissue is removed for root canal treatment, then a crown will be the ideal treatment as it helps to prevent tooth fracture.