Poor oral hygiene If your oral hygiene routine is not thorough enough to remove the acid-excreting bacteria each day, the acid will slowly eat away at your tooth. As the tooth gets eaten away, tooth decay sets in. Tooth decay naturally looks black and can give the appearance of a black tooth.
Tooth decay: One of the leading causes of teeth turning black is tooth decay, which can result from the build-up of plaque and tartar. Poor oral hygiene can result in tooth decay, although this is reversible in the early stages. However, when teeth turn black further treatment is necessary.
Some health conditions cause teeth discoloration, including liver disease, celiac disease, calcium deficiency, eating disorders and metabolic diseases. Certain medications. Some medications, like certain antihistamines and drugs for high blood pressure, can result in teeth discoloration.
A black tooth caused by dental decay can be treated by using a white filling. We remove the decay and replace it with a tooth-coloured filling material. Most dentists should be able to do this to a reasonable standard.
Black lines on teeth can similarly be treated with dental bonding. If the black line on the tooth is at the gum margin and you have a dental restoration such as a veneer or crown. Dead tooth whitening is also possible.
Treatment for a Darkening Tooth
If your tooth is not decayed or infected and there is no other diagnosis for it, a cosmetic dentist can conceal the darkness with a porcelain veneer or composite bonding. An otherwise healthy tooth would not require extraction and a dental implant.
It is not usually possible to get rid of black teeth at home. Home whitening kits may help with mild discoloration, but black teeth typically require professional treatment. A dentist will examine the teeth to diagnose the underlying cause and determine the right treatment.
Black color teeth discoloration is due to iron ferric salts and more commonly ferric sulfide and the exact mechanism for tooth staining due to iron salt is unknown. Still, this evidence is more common with the liquid iron supplement exposure used for the prevention and management of anemia.
The aetiology of black stain is not entirely understood. Ultrasonic investigation suggests that this stain is due to a specific type of dental plaque with tendency to calcify. Its microbial composition is thought to consist of chromogenic bacteria, such as actinomyces and prevotella melaninogenic.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Vitamin B12 plays an essential role in teeth and gum health. It helps you eliminate the bacteria that cause plaque buildup, leading to discolored teeth over time. If you have tooth stains or your gums appear redder than usual, it could be due to a lack of vitamin B12.
Although dark spots do not always indicate a cavity—they may just be surface stains—you have no real way of knowing. If you spy a black or brown spot on a tooth, your first course of action should be to schedule an appointment with a dentist.
A dying tooth may appear yellow, light brown, gray, or even black. It may look almost as if the tooth is bruised. The discoloration will increase over time as the tooth continues to decay and the nerve dies. If you experience any symptoms of a dying tooth, it's important to see your dentist right away.
A Darkened or Discolored Tooth:
While some tooth discoloration is common, and can be amended with a teeth whitening treatment, having a severely discolored tooth is indicative of severe tooth decay or the breakdown of internal tissue and might be a sign that root canal treatment is needed.
A dead tooth can stay in your mouth for up to several days or months; however, keeping a dead tooth may lead to problems with your jaw and also result in the spreading of decay and bacteria to other teeth. Most dentists will recommend having the dead tooth extracted and replaced with a denture, bridge, or implant.
Tooth decay does more damage than simply breaking down your teeth. It can lead to infections that can spread to the other parts of the body, it can increase your risk of heart disease and it can weaken your immune system.
Vitamin B12 helps to form red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the tissues in your mouth. It also helps to break down homocysteine, an amino acid that can damage tooth enamel. A lack of Vitamin B12 can lead to bad breath, mouth ulcers, and the detachment of the connective tissues supporting your teeth.
Zinc deficiency can manifest as non-specific oral ulceration, stomatitis (painful mouth) or white tongue coating. Rarely, it can cause angular cheilitis (sores at the corners of the mouth) and burning mouth syndrome (mouth or tongue soreness).
If you received the common antibiotics doxycycline or tetracycline as a child, your teeth may have discolored as a consequence. Antihistamines, high blood pressure medications, and antipsychotic drugs can also discolor teeth.
One of the most common reasons for black spots on your teeth is tooth decay or cavities. This occurs when bacteria feed off the sugar in the mouth, producing acids. They break down enamel and cause small holes known as cavities. The cavity weakens, leading to discoloration that appears as dark spots.
Even if you clean your teeth thoroughly through regular brushing and flossing, stains or spots can still develop on your teeth. While some types of discolouration may not be serious - apart from their aesthetic effect - dark or black tooth stains may actually indicate something more serious, like teeth cavities.