What to do if your child's tooth turns grey?

Written by: Dr. Grace Yum

Children frequently fall an injure their teeth, gums and other parts of their mouths, especially during their toddler years. We all know how fast toddlers can be and how curious they are about their surroundings.  They frequently don’t break their falls. 

I regularly have parents bring children in to my office who have fallen and injured their teeth. When that happens, the nerve of the tooth can get damaged. Sometimes blood vessels in the tooth pop – that can discolor a tooth from the inside. But sometimes, the nerve can heal and the tooth can go back to white.  Other times the nerve doesn't heal and the tooth stays discolored until the permanent tooth comes in and replaces it. There is unfortunately no treatment for discolored teeth for toddlers. 

If the tooth gets injured again, it can get infected and an abscess can form. If that occurs, a dentist should evaluate and prescribe antibiotics if necessary.  In this situation, the dentist often must extract the tooth because leaving an infected tooth in place can damage the permanent tooth that is lying underneath it.