Discoloured front tooth

**Mrs P** · December 25th, 2012, 09:40 PM

DD (nearly 2.5) had a fall at daycare two weeks ago and cut her lip. I didn't think anything further of it but have now noticed one of her front teeth is noticeably discoloured and grayish. Dr Google says this can happen after 'trauma' and may fade or may not!
I don't want her having a hideous grey tooth for another 6 years til it falls out!!
Has anyone experienced this??

**danita** · December 25th, 2012, 09:54 PM

My nephew has a discoloured tooth also 2.5 years old also from a fall apparently he killed the nerve and its grey now. Still is. Hopefully his adult tooth will be nice and white again

**minniemouse** · December 25th, 2012, 10:11 PM

Yes my DS had this, it took months & months (probably over 6 months) to get better but then it was fine again & no problems since (this was about 2 years ago)

**Beatrix** · December 25th, 2012, 11:08 PM

My DD has a dead tooth she is 4 1/2. Had her fall about age 2. It was darker grey but is now a pale grey. Not to noticeable unless pointed out.

**Amy_jellybean** · December 26th, 2012, 12:40 AM

I had this as a bub as well. I tripped over in a laundry may while we were camping when I was 2.5 and killed the nerve in my tooth. My uncle is a dentist and told mum and dad to expect my adult tooth to come through grey as well because I had done quite a lot of damage. Tooth fell out and I now have white adult teeth

**Chocaholic** · December 26th, 2012, 04:33 AM

This also happened to my DS2. Just had a dentist look at it last week. All they said was to monitor it as they can't do anything unless you want them to remove it which is obviously traumatic for a child. Need to take him back if it starts to hurt or an abscess forms.

DS2 had a fall about 2 months ago. His front tooth is slightly grey now but does not hurt. Dentist said it may have damaged his adult tooth but we won't know til it comes through. We can "fix" it then (ie.braces, plate etc). It is only a faint grey but I can see it. DS2 doesn't seem to mind yet. Hopefully the greyness will fade or it will fall out early. He is 4 but no teeth are loose and I do hope he keeps his baby teeth as long as possible. I have heard the longer it takes for baby teeth to fall out, the stronger the teeth. Hope that is true.

**Olive** · December 26th, 2012, 07:14 AM

Yes it sounds like the nerve has died, you need to keep an eye out for a gum boil (pimple) which will indicate an infection as the dead nerve will decay therefore often causing an infection, the gum boil will drain the pus out, pain will also indicate an infection, be prepared for the possibility that it 1) may need removing, 2) need a pulpotomy (removing the dead nerve chemically) 3) that it remain like that until it falls out naturally.

**Sorka** · December 26th, 2012, 07:34 AM

My son has had this also when he was 3. The black lasted for about 6 weeks then gradually faded and now is the same colour as his other teeth. The dentist thought it would stay black forever but I guess the damage wasn't that bad as you can't even tell now at 5 years old. Hope the same happens for you.

**~Raven~** · December 26th, 2012, 07:41 AM

Yes it sounds like the nerve has died, you need to keep an eye out for a gum boil (pimple) which will indicate an infection as the dead nerve will decay therefore often causing an infection, the gum boil will drain the pus out, pain will also indicate an infection, be prepared for the possibility that it 1) may need removing, 2) need a pulpotomy (removing the dead nerve chemically) 3) that it remain like that until it falls out naturally.

I went through this with my son. He had a really bad fall when he was about 2 (was younger but I can't remember exactly) and dislodged both front teeth. Both teeth went grey and the gum boils started when he was 4. We had one tooth removed when he was in kinder due to the boils and the other in grade one because the adult tooth came down too far behind the baby tooth and it wasn't going to push it out.
Now he is nine and he has beautiful adult teeth

**Mrs P** · December 26th, 2012, 05:43 PM

Woah. Thanks for all the replies. I think I'm even more scared now though

it looks greyer still today. Will try to get in to our dentist just to get his opinion. Waaaaaaaaah!!!!

**Olive** · December 26th, 2012, 05:59 PM

Yep defiantly see a dentist, I'd be asking for an X-ray of the tooth (though you may need to take a non pregnant friend or DH with you so they can hold her) it will tell you if an abscess is forming

**wysiwyg** · December 26th, 2012, 06:01 PM

Yes it sounds like the nerve has died, you need to keep an eye out for a gum boil (pimple) which will indicate an infection as the dead nerve will decay therefore often causing an infection, the gum boil will drain the pus out, pain will also indicate an infection, be prepared for the possibility that it 1) may need removing, 2) need a pulpotomy (removing the dead nerve chemically) 3) that it remain like that until it falls out naturally.

Thanks for this info - DD fell in August hit her tooth and it was bleeding alot, took her for check at the dentist and he explained about the discoloring but nothing else. The tooth is quite noticeably grey now. No one notices but us though.

**Traveller** · December 26th, 2012, 06:12 PM

This happened to ds2 when he wad about four and it eventually faded but his adult tooth has come through with a rough surface and slightly discoloured. The dentist says it just needs some cosmetic work done when he is older but the adult tooth is healthy.

**Floweryfields** · December 26th, 2012, 06:20 PM

I've known several children who've had this. The nerve in the tooth dies and therefore the tooth goes grey. Unfortunately it probably won't go back to white. But it shouldn't be 6 years, perhaps 4.5 when she loses it.