Dark Tooth

Dear S. S,

I practice general dentistry in Franklin Park. We treat children and adults. When a tooth is injured, the pulp, containing little nerves and blood vessels can become bruised causing the tooth to darken. You need to watch the area of the gum above the tooth (under the lip). If you see a gum boil developing the pulp has died. Depending on the childs age and how long we expect them to retain the tooth, we willdetermine if the tooth can be treated or must be removed.
If you have any questions, please call me at ###-###-####.

Sincerely,

Dr. D. R. Pietrini

1 mom found this helpful

My son fell down when he was 4 and bumped his front two teeth badly. Bloody. His gums were bruised. It took awhile, but his teeth turned grey (one worse than the other) The dentist said there is nothing we can do until his teeth fall out naturally (around age 6).

This happened to my daughter when she was 2 as well. Her top front tooth turned grey. The tooth was not loose and it was causing her no discomfort. We took her to a pediatric dentist. They took x-rays and based on those x-rays and the fact that she wasn't being bothered by it, they decided to continue to monitor it during regular check-ups (every 6 months). Which we did.

Then just before she turned five, she said her tooth was bothering her. This time the dentist noticed the tooth was a little loose and based on the x-rays and her discomfort, he said we should take it out. The risk was that the issue with the tooth could travel up the root and cause damage to more permanent parts. He said removing the tooth before it naturally would have come out wouldn't cause any alignment or other issues with her permanent teeth.

So, my daughter ended up having a grey tooth for about 2 years and then had it removed by an oral surgeon with no issues. That was about 6 months ago. So I wouldn't rush to have it removed if not necessary.

Good luck!

sounds to me like nerve damage and the tooth has died. This is unfortunate as you will need to have root canal done on that tooth and once it is discolored well that is it. Hopfully this is a baby tooth and not an adult tooth. I imagine it is a baby tooth. In the future if your child falls and hits their mouth a quick painless trip to the dentist to ensure this does ot happen againis a must. My daughter recently fell while walking with both hands in her pockets and chipped a permanent front tooth. Thank god it did not damage the nerve of the tooth and the crack was repaired swiftly but if I had not gotten her straight to the dentist she would have the same problem as your son but only a permanent problem. good luck to you

Hi S.,
The same thing happened to my daughter because she kept falling on her face and her front tooth was dark. I had a dentist appt and she came with me and he said that her tooth was bruised and it will heal on it's own. Bur keep close watch at the gum line if a bubble appears that is something to be concerned about and bring him in. C. E

My son had something similar over a year ago; tooth is still darker, but dentist did x-ray and there was no major damage to the tooth or the adult teeth behind.

Our daughter had the same thing happen when she was about two. It was her front tooth and she fell on the sidewalk and cut her lip, etc. About a week or so later the tooth turned gray. We took her to the dentist also and he didn't recommend doing anything, basically just wait and see. He confirmed that the tooth did die, but would eventually be replaced with a permanent tooth so not to worry. The tooth fell out when she was five or so and she has a beautiful set of permanent teeth today. (she's 21) The gray tooth looked different but really didn't cause her any problems, so hope your experience is the same!

Hi S.,

The same thing just happened to my girlfriends son and his tooth needed a root canal but it is better now. I guess it was better to do that than not have a tooth for a few years.

Hope this helps!!
D.

That happened to me when I was little (around 4 or 5)--fell and hit a front tooth on the sink and it turned dark, meaning it was "dead." The dentist eventually had to pull it. The good news was and is, for you, it's a baby tooth. My permanent teeth all came in fine.

I chipped my front tooth as a child and eventually its gotten shades darker... they tell me eventually it would turn brown if the tooth was 'dead' but appears ok. You can't tell on me though, its still off white. If it's a baby tooth try not to worry too much, though i heard they sometimes put in a spacer to make sure there's room for for the 2nd one to come in. It would break my heart too but i think its likely just a temporary cosmetic thing. My son fell on his face at daycare too and needed plastic surgery on his lip/chin for his teeth that went clear through his lip, but his teeth are ok. good luck!

When my son was 2, he also got bumped and his front tooth turned dark. I went to my dentist (at that time) and he said that he'd have to pull it. I was horrified, then he yanked down the x-ray tube and terrified the boy. We left. I took him to a dentist, who came out, sat down (without his smock) and chatted a while with my son. He then went willing to the dentist chair to be examined. He said, "Glad you didn't let that guy pull the tooth...it's only bruised and it will get better...which it did...whitened up in a few weeks...Hope this helps

I actually have not had this experience, but my hygenist mentioned that her son had a dark tooth from a fall at my last appt a few months ago. She did not seem at all concerned, and given her profession, I would think she would she would be if it were serious...I don't know if this helps but I hope you get a positive resolution!

Hello. My daughter (who is now 6) fell when she was two off a chair. Her two front teeth darkened. You can't tell unless you are looking for it and up close. The dentist said the nerve endings are dead. The teeth are essentially dead. He could inject some white stuff into the teeth but it might be painful for the 2 year old to experience. I did not want to create this memory for her. We were just thankful that the teeth to this day are still there. It would make it difficult for her to eat and all of her pictures would be toothless. As it is, very few know, her teeth are actually dark. She will lose them as new teeth come in. Good luck!

Hi S.,

My son also fell when he was about three, and he banged his front tooth and it turned dark. We took him to the dentist, and we were afraid that it would fall out. But the tooth was fine, but blood had pooled in it and it was REALLY dark. So the dentist put a white coating over it so wasn't so noticeable. And he is 6 now, and the tooth is long gone and a healthy adult tooth has grown in!

Good luck and I hope your little man is doing well!

Warmly,
J.

Hi S.! My little brother had the same thing happen to him when he was about 2 or 3. His tooth became dark after hitting it pretty hard on something. It was a dead tooth, and we were told to just wait for it to fall out like the rest of his teeth wold in time. When he turned 5 or 6, he started loosing his baby teeth, and that ws one of the first to come out since it was the front tooth. He never had any problems with it. This was at least 23 years ago, so dentists advice may have changed drastically since then! That is my only experience with a dead tooth though.

Hi S.,
I am a mom of 3 (6yr old girl, 5 yr old girl and 19 month boy) My 2nd is VERY active and was always bumping her head.. she too has a dark tooth in the front. The dentist will xray to make sure it is not dying... as long as it is ok, so it does not hurt the other teeth.. they will leave it in and it will not fall out..(until it is time!) My little one somehow bumped hers at 2 yrs old... dentist said it is fine.. no damaged roots... and she is now 5 and still has it...
Hopefully the same will happen for you..
D.

Hi! You've already had a lot of responses! When my daughter was about 3 she fell face forward onto the sidewalk. About 2 weeks later we noticed her one front tooth was darker so whisked her immediately to the dentist. He said that the injury would probably cause the tooth to die and it would more than likely get a little darker - which it did. Unlike some of the other responses, it never lightened up again.
The dentist advised us to leave it in until it fell out naturally - which is what we did - and when she was 7 it finally fell out and she now has a beautiful adult tooth in its place. I worried about how she would feel starting school with this tooth being so prominant in her smile but it never really seemed to bother her. I hope in your case your son's tooth lightens up again and he holds on to it for another 5 years or so!

The nerve in the tooth has died and is causing discoloration. YOur dentist will probably want to pull the tooth at some point. The only problem with this is that you'll have to wait for the adult tooth to come in and it may come in early. But, otherwise, this happens all the time.

This happened to our older son when he was also about 2. He was playing and hit his front tooth turning it slightly darker than the other. The dentist told us he had slight damage to the root of his front tooth. No sensitivity arose from this, However, it stayed that way until he lost his baby tooth a few years later.

S.,

My little sister had this when she was young. She also bumped her tooth on something and it turned dark. Her tooth was like that until the baby tooth fell out when her adult tooth was ready to come in. It doesn't look all that great, but it doesn't hurt or anything. It's good that you're going to have a dentist check it out, but I'm sure your little guy is fine!

~P.

S. S.
I have seen many of these over my 13 yrs of being a dental asst. don't worrie it should not fall out but may need what is called pulpotomy that is if it shows signs of needing one it may take 2 days to two yrs. The signs you will see is a pimple bumb which has fluid in it. With your son being so young you want to keep that tooth in to hold the space for his adult tooth. Discolored or not try to keep it there as long as possibable. Your dentist will probably watch it for now cuz of his age and then if you see the signs of the bump then choose to do something. Your dentist will probably agree that it needs to stay in there as long as it can. Avoid wiggling it, the tissue around the tooth will tighten back up.
it may be tender for a week or two It is just like hitting your knee really hard. The darkness of the tooth is the blood that has pooled inside of it.
Hope this helps
V. R.

I'm pretty sure it sounds like the nerve in the tooth has been damaged or died. The same thing happened when i was little to a permanent tooth. Mine never has fallen out. The dentist said he could try to do a root canal and bleach it or put on a porcelain veneer. I never did either because it isn't that noticable until i smile.

Hi S.-

A similar thing happened to my son. He was playing, hit a tooth and later it started becoming discolored. When we went to the dentist we discovered that a nerve was damaged. They did what was equivalent to a root canal for children. They gave me a med that made him a little sleepy, gave him a local anesthetic and did the procedure. It went off without a hitch, and now he can't even remember that he had it. The tooth never came out on it's own ( until he started loosing baby teeth), but the dentist did tell us that if we didn't get it taken care of, the permanent tooth might be effected. Hope this helps.

T.

hi
i have a little girl that will be 3 in June and in feb she fell and hit her face on a coffee table and hurt her face and mouth. we ran her to the dentist and he told us there wasn't really anything he could do. her tooth turned completely gray and i cried. i thought her self asteem would suffer every time she smiled. the great news is you can't even tell which one it is now! it just turned white again on it's own. i didn't even know that was possible.

A little about me:
a stay at home mom of 3. two girls, 2 and 4, and a 1 year old boy

Hey! This happened to my son when he was three. I took him to the dentist and they did x-rays and said it was just a bruise on his gums and there was some blood in the tooth (thats why it gets dark). They said it would lighten up over time and it has. It still is sort of gray, but there was no damage. Try not to worry!

Hi S.
My daughter once hurt her tooth and it became very grey, but then after some time it became
white again. We took her to the pediatric dentist, as she injured herself at the playground, and they did xrays to make sure she did not damage anything "above"....he told us it would probably stay discolored, but maybe not. It did not. The tooth won't fall off....only when it is supposed to. And that is no big deal. Lots of kids run around with their teeth missing;-)

But of course your concerned...it is your baby!

K.

Luckily this is only a baby tooth and a new one will show up in a year or so. The dentist should help you feel better about this as well.
Relax, at least he did not get a piercing or tatoo!!!!
A. Gippe

As you are seeing, it's not uncommon. My son, now almost five, did the same thing about two years ago. The nerve is either damaged or dead, but it's not a big deal as long as there's no discomfort or sign of infection. Our dentist just said to keep an eye on it, and that it would probably be the first baby tooth to go. He's still got it, and it's still a little darker than his other teeth.

Our dentist said they don't like to pull baby teeth unless it's absolutely necessary.

Hey there,
I just went through this very same thing maybe 1 month ago. My son fell and hit his mouth on the tv stand. We went to a pediatric dentist and they said that there was some slight nerve damage. The original thought was that my 2 year old might need the equavalent of a root canal (NO!!!)
The dentist wanted to keep an eye on it for a few weeks because he said that it could get darker, but also may stay the same. It has gotten better, the light color has come back and he has no pain. The dentist wants to do NOTHING unless it starts to abcess (which means trouble). He said there is no sense in putting my son through needless pain if not necessary. FYI, they don't want to pull the tooth because it should stay in place hopefully until the child is around 6-7 years old.
My first and only child as well, so I understand your panic and disappointment.

I have twin brothers and when they were yoing, one of them fell and ended up with a dark tooth. I believe tjey told my mom since it was a baby tooth, not to worry - I believe the tooth was dead and when his big boy tOoth came in, all was good. Good to have the dentist check to make sure no serious root damage. My brother waa fine and has not had amy problems. We still have pictures of him with his little dark tooth and the joke that now everyone could tell them apart, till he lost it! Good to have it checked, but if he is not complaining, that is a very good sign. Have him checked out just for your piece of mind.

I am going to say he knocked the nerve loose in his tooth.

When I was a child I had the same thing happen to me with my front 2 teeth.....It was really no bother it does not effect the adult teeth in any way....and it does not hurt the tooth is just dead...its not going to fall out until his adult teeth are ready to come in. So dont worry about that.....Hope it helps

B.

The tooth will eventually turn white again. It may take a few months though! Be patient =)

My daughter did the same thing when she was 2. She fell of the last stair and hit her mouth on the tile floor. Her front tooth started turning gray. I took her to the dentist and everything looked fine. He said it would stay gray until it fell out when she was 6. I was disappointed that she would have a gray tooth for years. However, it was just bruised and it slowly faded away and the tooth was white again. It took about a month. Definitely get it checked though. Hope this helps!

Hi S. - I had the same problem when my son was 3 and took a bad fall. The dentist can tell you for sure regarding your particular case, but our dentist recommending waiting to see what happened with the tooth rather than pull it. I believe they like to keep baby teeth in as long as possible to encourage healthy growth of the permanent teeth - it's been four years now since this happened, so I don't remember all details. Anyway, we waited, and the dark tooth actually lightened back up and looks almost like his other teeth. I'm probably the only one that notices now. Good luck! L.

S.,
A similar thing happened to my daughter when she was 3. She tripped face-first into the dirt and her two front teeth because bloody and a little loose. They turned darker so we took her to the pediatric dentist. An x-ray revealed they were fine. The blood fills the tooth from the impact to the mouth but is many times resorbed back into the gums and the teeth become solid again. She's now 8 and has long since lost those teeth and has her permanent ones. My husband was ready to get her some prosthetic teeth if they had to be pulled though (they run about $700!!) Good luck! If you are really concerned, see a pediatric dentist for an x-ray.

A similar injury happened to my son 4 years ago (when he was two). It is possible that if the injury was severe enough it could cause the tooth to "die" and eventually fall out. But more likely it will not change much from what it looks like now. My uncle (a dentist) explained it as kind of a bruise in the tooth ( a small amount of blood in the pulp of the tooth). But unlike bruises on other parts of your body, these don't go away. A couple of days after the incident it was as dark as it was going to get, and remains that color to this day. With my son, the discoloration is quite mild, almost no one else notices it unless I point it out. My uncle did tell me to watch for things over the couple weeks following the injury, like a continued darkening, loosening, pain, and the formation of a small, white, pimple-like bump forming on his gum above the tooth (indicating a possible infection inside). None of these happened with him, hope you have a similar outcome.

Ah yes. It actually happened to BOTH my oldest DD's!! My oldest DD's tooth was injured so bad they had to cap the tooth. With my other DD; they pulled them both but she was four. Poor thing was so darn cute with no front teeth for like a year! ha! ha! I really think it's the age. Because if you pull a baby tooth too soon the others move together and leave no room for the adult teeth!! Good luck!
Mom to four nutty kids!

My Son had an accident much the same way when he was 3. He fell and hit his tooth on the ceramic dog bowl. I took him to the ER where they stopped the bleeding, then we saw 2 dentists, a specialist and had multiple xrays. Finally my pediatrician said to just let it be. It was gray for 2 1/2 years, crooked, but became firm again over time and he lost it in the normal time he was supposed to lose it. It wasn't even his first baby tooth he lost! The tooth looked "dead" but still had enough nerve connection to replant itself and get a blood supply, and it was just dangling by a thread of tooth material when I pushed it back in before going to the hospital. Your child's will probably be OK, just lose some color.