Do baby teeth change color before falling out

If a child bumps his or her primary baby tooth, it may turn dark. Usually this happens two to three weeks after an accident. It’s usually a gray or purple like colour. Whether it turns dark or not doesn’t always depend on the severity of the injury. However, that if the tooth is displaced or knocked very loose at the time of the injury, there seems to be a greater chance of it turning dark. If it doesn’t turn dark after a month, it likely won’t have any further problems. Sometimes it can turn a pink colour which can be another thing called internal resorption where the tooth resorbs from the inside out.

Will the tooth ever lighten back up?

It can lighten back. In fact most do, but it takes a while. There is just not a good blood supply there. In addition, there may have been such displacement of the tooth that the blood supply is damaged. Those teeth may not recover or lighten at all. Having said all that, most dark baby teeth do lighten back. If it is a permanent tooth, then it’s a whole other ball game. A traumatized permanent tooth that turns dark usually means the tooth is dead and will need a root canal to save it.

How long will it take?

Baby teeth seem to take several months to lighten, usually around six months or so. It is kind of like a bruise inside the tooth. Unlike a bruise on the skin where there is a good blood supply, the tooth takes a longer amount of time to recover. Sometimes it will lighten to a slight opaque look, which is barely noticeable. This is due to the canal inside the tooth closing up. It’s like a scar inside the tooth. If this happens then the tooth looks pretty good and is not likely to have any further problems.

Sometimes the tooth never lightens. It stays dark. What can I do? 

If the tooth has turned dark and there are no other signs of infection or injury, just continue to observe it. There often is no need for treatment. We will take an x-ray if possible to check for problems. In a few cases the tooth can abscess due to the death of the pulp inside the tooth. The body can’t get in there to heal. So it is important to watch for that. If the tooth is dark and you just don’t like looking at it, then we can do a filling on the front or a white crown if indicated.

Toddlers and young children are always getting into scrapes, with bumps, knocks and tumbles commonplace as they explore their surroundings. It is not uncommon for a youngster to knock their milk teeth, and sometimes this can cause problems.

Milk teeth have an important role so need to be looked after more carefully than some may think. They are placeholders for the adult teeth that emerge later, so if the milk teeth become damaged then this can affect the spacing and alignment of adult teeth as they come through later. At CK Dental, we work with parents to ensure that milk teeth are looked after properly and that any concerns are addressed quickly.

Colour change following an impact

If a milk tooth receives a hard knock, then it may discolour and start to turn grey, yellow or black in colour. This often happens two to three weeks after the initial accident. This means that the tooth’s blood supply has been affected and it is struggling to get the necessary amount of blood. Inside the tough enamel coating of each tooth is a soft centre, which is fed by a nerve. If the nerve has become damaged, then it can cause the soft centre to die.

This isn’t always cause for concern, depending on the severity of the knock sometimes the tooth will lighten again of its own accord, although this can take a long time. The tooth will need to be inspected by a dentist though as it may have been seriously damaged and could need removing if the nerve has been too badly affected. Your dentist will make a judgement of whether or not it is best to remove the tooth. Sometimes it will be appropriate to leave the tooth where it is, but sometimes the affected soft centre of the dead/dying tooth can create a breeding ground for bacteria which can lead to infections.

Other things to watch out for

It is important to keep a close eye on the gums around a damaged milk tooth, and if you see any lumps, bumps, redness or swelling then make an appointment to see your dentist quickly as this could be an infection or abscess.

If you recognise these symptoms in your child, then it is important to arrange to see your family dentist for a professional examination to ensure that your child receives the best treatment for any damaged teeth.

Since that accident, I’ve had two different friends send pictures of their children’s teeth, both with similar stories of an accident in which the front teeth were hit. If you are in this unfortunate club, or think you might be someday, this post is for you!

Here is what you need to know about Asher’s tooth and what to do if this happens to your child:

1. A tooth that has turned gray is dead.  Yup, dead. It is discolored because the trauma caused internal bleeding in the tooth.  
2. What do you do with a dead baby tooth?  You carefully monitor the tooth for signs of infect
   
   ion: pain around that tooth or a non-painful red bump on the gums around that tooth. If no signs of infection exist, do nothing.
3. If an infection occurs, the tooth will have to come out.  A root canal is a possibility, but it’s typically not recommended on baby teeth. More likely, the tooth will simply have to be pulled.
4. If the tooth is pulled, your child will be missing a front tooth.  You do not “replace” the baby tooth.
5. Assuming there is no infection, watch to make sure that this gray tooth gets loose around the same time as the other front tooth. This will typically happen at age 5-7.  If It doesn’t get loose on its own, again, most likely you will have to get the tooth pulled so that the permanent tooth can come in safely.
6. Finally, in rare cases, injuries like this to baby teeth can cause damage to the permanent tooth that is developing underneath the gums.  Your dentist should monitor this area with the appropriate x-rays.

Hopefully this does not happen to your child, but, if it does, make sure to consult with a dental professional.  Although a subluxation injury is not that serious, I recommend seeing a dentist as soon as possible to rule out the possibility of more serious injury.  In future blog posts, I’ll cover some other common dental injuries. And, don’t worry, that gray tooth won’t be there too long! Are you ready to start orthodontic treatment?  We can’t wait to meet you!

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How long does it take for baby teeth to turn GREY?

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