When the pulp dies, the tooth may turn purple, grey, pink, dark yellow, or almost black in color. The dead blood vessels and nerve tissue undergo a degradation process that can produce a variety of colors, similar to the way a bruise changes in color.
In some cases, the tooth will heal itself; however, it is common for the tooth to remain discolored or even die. Depending on the type of damage, treatment may involve a root canal to remove the dead tissue and bleaching or cosmetic restorations to improve the color of the tooth.
Trauma – When blood flow to a tooth is cut off, the tooth can die and turn gray. Gray staining can also develop much later than when the trauma was suffered, sometimes even months or years after the injury. Tooth decay – This can also cut off the tooth's blood flow and cause it to turn gray and die.
Habitually, a grey tooth is an indication of an underlying condition that could necessitate instant treatment. You should seek advice from a dentist right away if your teeth are greying. It is important not to overlook oral complications.
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.
Just because your tooth is gray doesn't mean the tooth is dead. In some cases, the gray might be due to external discoloration and can be treated using whitening treatments either at home or provided by your dentist's office.
Dead Teeth
There's always the chance that your tooth is turning blue or gray because it's dead. A healthy tooth consists of nerves and living pulp. If you notice a tooth or two turning gray, blue, black, or dark pink, the nerves and pulp within the tooth may have died.
As the blood supply is disrupted and the tooth begins to die, that tooth may become gray in color, although we've witnessed some dead teeth in shades of yellow, brown or even black, if left unchecked for too long.
Most likely, yes. If your dentist diagnoses a necrotic pulp (or “dead tooth”), your treatment options will be either a root canal treatment to save the tooth, or an extraction to remove the tooth. Both options remove the dead tissue and prevent any spreading infection in your mouth.
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.
Non-removal of a dead tooth from your mouth is not wise because it can harm your remaining teeth and jaw, which is significantly dangerous. Depending on the extent and type of damage, the tooth may remain in your mouth for days, months, and even years before falling out by itself.
A dead nerve in a tooth is sometimes referred to as a necrotic pulp or a pulpless tooth. Once this happens, the tooth will eventually fall out by itself. However, it can be dangerous to wait for this to occur, as the tooth can become infected and affect the jaw and other teeth.
When only one or a few teeth turn gray or blue, it might be because the teeth have died. Though you might think of all teeth as lifeless, at their center are living pulp and nerves. If trauma or infection has caused damage, the pulp and nerves can die, and the tooth turns dark pink, gray, or black.
While it is usually difficult to see a cavity in its beginning stages, some cavities start with a whitish or chalky appearance on the enamel of your tooth.
Once a tooth is damaged or decaying, it's only a matter of time before it dies. Depending on how heavy the damage, the tooth could die within a matter of days or even a couple of months. Darkened or discolored teeth are often the first sign that your tooth is on its way out.
When your tooth is dead, it can't fight off bacteria. This can put you at greater risk of infection, especially because your tooth's pulp reaches the root of the tooth. Symptoms of bacterial infection include bad taste, swelling, and bad breath.
Teeth nerves do have the ability to heal, yes. However, there are degrees of damage that occur and it is only in certain circumstances that self-healing happens.
Brown and grey spots show up on the tooth material around a crown where pearly whites should be. These spots indicate tooth decay, which can be the culprit of nerve damage. Decay under crowns starts with a buildup of a sticky yellow plaque film.
When do kids lose their first tooth? Children usually lose their first tooth around 5 or 6 years old. But every child is unique. Some will lose their first tooth as early as 4 years old or as late as 7 years old.
However, if you do not attend regular dental check-ups, you may not realize that your tooth is rotten. It will fall out on its own after all its connecting tissues die or become damaged. However, you should not wait for a tooth to fall out. An untreated rotten tooth can lead to severe complications.
Do you think you or someone you know may have a dead tooth? The first thing you and others close to you will notice is the smell. Similar to fruits and vegetables you bought and never ate, your tooth gets rotten and starts to release a foul smell.
The two main treatment options for dead teeth are root canals and extractions. If a non-vital tooth is in relatively good condition, a root canal can clean, fill and seal off the empty space. In some cases, further cosmetic or structural treatment may be necessary to restore the tooth's appearance and stability.
A dead tooth occurs when those tissues are damaged and the blood supply to the tooth is lost. It may be painful or may cause no symptoms at all. A dead or dying tooth should be treated quickly because it can become infected and have negative effects on the jaw, gums and other teeth.