DISCOLORED TOOTH

A Single Discolored Tooth

A discolored tooth can be caused by a number of different reasons.

One of the most common reasons a single tooth starts discoloring is the result of the nerve inside that tooth dying. This is usually due to some kind past trauma associated with the tooth in question.

One would think that severe pain would be associated with the dying nerve, but this is not always true, especially in trauma cases. Many times the tooth will have no symptoms at all except for a change of color. This can vary, but grey is the most common shade.

When the nerve dies the tooth requires a root canal to remove the necrotic tissue inside it. Bleaching has been known to help, but it usually has to be done from inside the tooth and results can vary.

The most reliable way is to cap the tooth with a crown. Since a tooth that has a root canal procedure performed on it would need a crown anyway, it is the most preferred way to handle a discolored tooth as a result of a dying nerve.

Other Discolored Tooth Causes

Other causes of a discolored tooth can be the result of genetics, drugs, infections, root canal treatments, smoking, and certain foods that contribute to the discoloration of specific teeth.

Also purple paint that you are not supposed to eat has been know to cause issues with tooth discoloration.

On a serious note, there are at least eighty reasons for tooth discoloration, but when it is a single discolored tooth it narrows down the cause and is something I would recommend you have us check out for you.

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