It’s inevitable, as soon as children begin to walk around they run into everything. So there is bound to be a little bit of blood and many tears that only mommy or daddy can cure. It’s when you see your babies tooth change colors that you worry, there may not be anything to worry about though. It is always best to see a dentist to make sure though.
Why is the tooth changing colors?
Your child’s tooth is changing colors because it got bumped. There is no other reason for it really, it got injured (like a bruise) and is trying to heal itself. You will begin to notice the color change about two weeks after the tooth got bumped. If it doesn’t change color after about three weeks then it is safe to say you are in the clear, and you should not have any issues with the tooth.
What colors should I watch for?
Normally the tooth will turn a grayish purple color. If your tooth tries to fix itself from the inside out it will turn a pink color. If there is any black color, then you need to see a dentist right away, it may be decay.
Will it lighten up ever?
The majority of the time the tooth will go back to the normal color, it will take a little while since the blood supply is not as good anymore. There is a little bit of a chance that it will stay dark until the adult tooth comes in to replace it. So don’t be alarmed if it stays dark. Now if it’s an adult tooth that turned dark, most likely it is a dead tooth that needs to be fixed.
What if the tooth is abscessed?
If the tooth is in fact abscessed, the infection has killed off the pulp from the inside and prevents the body from healing it. In most cases will need to be removed. This will not affect the permanent tooth when it comes in. Sometimes it an option to get a root canal done on the baby tooth, these types of root canals do not cause any issues with the adult tooth coming in.
What will the dentist do at the appointment?
In most cases the dentist will just have you keep an eye on it, and then take an x-ray to check for any underlying problems. If they do decide to go ahead and extract it or perform a root canal they will need to sedate your child.
References:
DR Dean Brandon
http://cyberdentist.blogspot.com/2006/03/my-childs-tooth-is-turning-dark.html
