OT - Denitst related question...son's tooth turned gray

[cmaee]

My DS who will be 5 next week has a gray tooth. I just noticed it this morning when we were sitting at breakfast. He was just at the dentist 2 months ago and the dentist said his teeth look great. What would cause the tooth to turn gray and do so quickly? I don't know how long it has been gray, I just noticed it. My son brushes and flosses his own teeth, so I don't watch him do it anymore. I don't remember him hurting his mouth/teeth any time recently, but if it didn't hurt really bad, I don't know if he would have told me if I didn't see it. I just brushed his teeth for him and he said that it doesn't hurt and didn't show any pain or discomfort as I brushed/flossed it. Of course it is a Saturday, so I can't take him to the dentist until Monday. Has anyone elses child have this happen? What did the dentist say or do? I am starting to wonder if I should call the emergency dentist line our dentist has set up.

 

[Reagan&Co.]

We have had this happen, very quickly. It is decay. Apparently the baby teeth can do this in no time at all. We go to a pediatric dentist, and they usually recommend pulling it- to save a tooth with that much decay involves a pulpectomy (kind of like a root canal).

As long as it does not hurt him badly, just wait until Monday. Even if it was absessed, they would probably just give an antibiotic.

This has just been our experience.
Good luck! I was in tears over my son's, and I am the one that brushes his teeth, so I felt extra guilty. But tooth strength also has to do with genetic, environmental, and other misc. factors.

 

[cmaee]

Thanks for your response. Did your son have his pulled or the root canal? I am just so amazed at how quick this thing turned gray. I feel awful that I don't know how long it has been gray, but I would have to think that I would have noticed it before now if it has been gray for a while. Right now he thinks it is fun to go to the dentist....his teeth gets brushed, gets to look at his x-rays and then picks out a great toy. He loves it. I am sure that will not be the case after he has his tooth pulled or a root canal. Does this decay affect their permanent teeth? On a side note, if the dentist pulls it, his older brother will flip out. He has his first loose tooth and will be so mad if his younger brother loses a tooth before he does.

 

[seashoreCM]

Are you sure he didn't bang his chin or nose/palate on something causing the tooth to get hit?

The nerve may have died but the tooth might be OK staying in place. A front tooth has only one root and only one tiny lead in for artery and vein and severe jarring can shear off those blood vessels even though the tooth is not loosened enough as in knocked out.

As far as decay is concerned, the tooth itself might not have rotted but the dead nerve inside has nowhere to go but decay. So dentists will have varying opinions on what to do.

It is generally a good idea to keep the baby teeth in place as long as possible although severe decay will force an extraction.

IMHO the purpose of a root canal procedure is to widen the lead in to the interior of the tooth so the body can rebuild blood vessels up into there and resume sending white blood cells in to attack any possible germs.

Health hints: http://www.cockam.com/health.htm

 

[my*2*angels]

My DS who will be 5 next week has a gray tooth. I just noticed it this morning when we were sitting at breakfast. He was just at the dentist 2 months ago and the dentist said his teeth look great. What would cause the tooth to turn gray and do so quickly? I don't know how long it has been gray, I just noticed it. My son brushes and flosses his own teeth, so I don't watch him do it anymore. I don't remember him hurting his mouth/teeth any time recently, but if it didn't hurt really bad, I don't know if he would have told me if I didn't see it. I just brushed his teeth for him and he said that it doesn't hurt and didn't show any pain or discomfort as I brushed/flossed it. Of course it is a Saturday, so I can't take him to the dentist until Monday. Has anyone elses child have this happen? What did the dentist say or do? I am starting to wonder if I should call the emergency dentist line our dentist has set up.

One of my very good friends is a dental hygeinist and her son fell and hit his mouth! Both of his front teeth turned gray. She said that usually happens. He did not have to have anything pulled or anything.

 

[cmaee]

It's completely possible that he hit his mouth/teeth. He is a very active kid who has an older brother and they love to "rough-house". It must not have been a jarring hit, or else he would have told me. I am not in such a panic mode anymore...I feel comfortable waiting until Monday morning to talk to his dentist.

 

[bigbabyblues]

My oldest DS fell when he was 3 and hit his mouth, and his front teeth turned gray a couple days later. The ped dentist said the nerve had died, but he didn't have to have anything done to it. The dentist said they could be capped or something to make it look better, but we didn't do that.

They loosened up with the rest of his baby teeth, fell out, and his permanent teeth are just fine.

to you, I remember how scared I was when it happened to my DS.

 

[drinkme]

My oldest DS fell when he was 3 and hit his mouth, and his front teeth turned gray a couple days later. The ped dentist said the nerve had died, but he didn't have to have anything done to it. The dentist said they could be capped or something to make it look better, but we didn't do that.

They loosened up with the rest of his baby teeth, fell out, and his permanent teeth are just fine.

to you, I remember how scared I was when it happened to my DS.

Same thing happened to 2 of my kids. When their permanent teeth came in, they came in fine.

HTH

 

[SueM in MN]

Your dentist will be able to tell you for sure on Monday, but it may not be decay.
That happens often after an injury or hard knock ot a tooth. If it happens right away, it is sort of like a bruise to a nail - the blood inside the tooth makes it look gray. It doesn't need to be a big injury, just has to hit in a particular way that jostles the tooth.
It can also happen later - way after you have forgotten any knock took place. In that situation it's an injury to the tooth's nerve.
here's a link to a question that talks about that.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

It's completely possible that he hit his mouth/teeth. He is a very active kid who has an older brother and they love to "rough-house". It must not have been a jarring hit, or else he would have told me. I am not in such a panic mode anymore...I feel comfortable waiting until Monday morning to talk to his dentist.

The first thing that I thought of is that he most likely hit it. This also happened to my daughter and it eventually lightened back up. The dentist didn't do a thing for it. Hopefully this is all it is.

 

[2Blue1Pink]

Just wanted to add another reassuring post. Several years ago, my son, who was probably 4 at the time, was hit with the leaf blower. The machine was so loud, my son was able to walk up to my DH up without DH knowing he was there. My husband turned around fast and accidentally hit him in the mouth. Went to dentist, who xrayed and said the tooth was not broken. She said to wait 3 months. Tooth turned gray and eventually whitened back up. Everything ended up fine and I hope it will for you too!

 

[Disneyforus]

We also had a gray tooth eventually lighten up!

 

[mnasmom3]

hygienist here....
I would not call the emergency number unless he's in pain. To me, what you described sounds like he took a hit to the tooth at some point.

 

[mnasmom3]

hygienist here....
I would not call the emergency number unless he's in pain. To me, what you described sounds like he took a hit to the tooth at some point.

 

[1LuckyMom]

Another reassurance here. We also had a tooth that was grey and lightened back up. The dentist will be able to tell you on Mon. Don't worry! By the way we also had one that was pink. The adult tooth had eaten the root away so it was empty inside and DD had drank some fruit punch so the tooth turned pink.

 

[liznboys]

Another gray tooth here! My second son was smacked in the teeth by the back of my first son's head (he was trying to give him a piggy back ride)...this happened a little over 3 years ago when he was 4 years old.

I took him to the dentist the next day and they did x-rays and all that and said all looked fine, but it might change color. The day after that we went to Disney World for a week, and about halfway through our trip it started to turn.

He's had a gray tooth ever since, unfortunately it never went back to white. It did go from purple to a dark gray to a lighter gray. It's loose now so he'll finally get to say goodbye to his gray tooth. Poor kid, it never bothered him but every school year at the start he has kids ask him what is wrong with his tooth. Some smarty-pants kids tell him he has a cavity. And he has to explain. But other than that it hasn't been an issue.

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

I had that happen to me as a child. I hit my front tooth with a glass Coke bottle at around 4 (34 years ago) and my tooth turned dark. It was a baby tooth and we just waited until it fell out. There was no decay, the nerve died in the tooth.

 

[duggan6]

i see other people have responded but i thought i'd also let you know that my son, now 6, had the same thing happen when he was 4. he bumped it on something and i took him to the dentist. the dentist said that it usually happens when there is a trauma to the tooth and that there's no need to do anything about it unless it hurts (which it didn't). he still has the tooth and it actually isn't even gray anymore.

 

[jpeka65844]

We go on Tuesday for DS's gray front tooth. He took a bad fall and hit his mouth on a toy a few weeks back and we think it's a side effect......

Sounds very common!

 

[Moeluv4u7]

Teeth can also turn gray if taking liquid iron (usually given to kids w/ low iron count and usually infants or toddlers) yours may be older than an age that he is taking liquid iron but just another thought- If you give him liquid iron it can cause discoloration to the tooth/teeth at the point where it is always given (i.e. by medicine dropper and always "surrounds" the same tooth area as taken) Hope it is something simple and all is well.