Hey, my name is Shelly Katalgo. My love for sedation dentistry started in high school. My best friend had a severe fear of going to the dentist and I wanted to help her feel better about it. Although I always enjoyed my dental visits, I felt bad that she struggled so much with going to hers. My parents taught me about sedation dentistry and I instantly dreamed of becoming a dental professional. I wanted to help kids like my friend stay fear free throughout their appointments by using gentle techniques and professional medications. Although I opted to follow a different career path, my passion for dentistry remained throughout the years. I will update my site with developments in this industry as soon as they are reported. I will also discuss the benefits of sedation dentistry in detail. Thanks for visiting. I hope you come back soon.
Franklin Steward
When it comes to your child's teeth, seeing anything other than those pearly whites can be concerning. In fact, your child may end up with a discolored tooth for a variety of reasons. The key is knowing what that discoloration means as well as knowing when a dental visit is necessary. Here are a few things to know about discolorations in your child's teeth.
What Causes Tooth Discolorations?
A child's tooth may discolor for a variety of reasons, but one of the most common causes is suffering an impact to the tooth. When the tooth is struck, it can break the blood vessels in the root of the tooth. When those blood vessels break, it can cause the spaces inside the tooth to fill up with blood. This leads to the tooth appearing grey in color. It could even seem nearly black depending on how much blood fills the tooth.
However, in some cases, the discoloration isn't due to blood filling the tooth. Teeth sometimes discolor because the root connecting the tooth to the gums has died, causing the tooth itself to die as well.
How Can You Tell What Causes Your Child's Tooth Discoloration?
Sometimes, you can confirm the cause of the tooth discoloration fairly easily. If you were there when your child struck his or her mouth on something and you saw the gums bleed, you can probably safely assume that the discoloration that follows is a result of broken blood vessels. However, if you aren't entirely sure what happened, you'll want to call your child's dentist for an appointment.
Your child's dentist may take x-rays to ensure that the tooth isn't damaged inside the gums. This is especially important if it's a baby tooth because any damage could also pass to the adult tooth behind it.
What Do You Do About Discolored Teeth?
The steps to deal with a discolored tooth will depend on which tooth it is and what happened. If it's a baby tooth and it's caused by impact to the tooth, your dentist may advise that you don't do anything. That tooth will eventually fall out on its own, so you shouldn't have to worry about it.
However, if it's a baby tooth that's discolored because it has died, the dentist may recommend pulling it. Pulling the tooth will help to protect the adult tooth that will be coming in behind it, so don't dismiss the recommendation. To learn more, contact your local kids' dentist.