Black Decayed Tooth

Black Decayed Tooth

Black teeth can be a concern for many people; a black tooth will affect your smile and have an impact on your confidence.

What causes a tooth to go black?

There are many reasons why a tooth can begin to go black, anything from simple staining to the death of the tooth can cause blackness and darkening.

• Poor oral hygiene

Poor oral hygiene can cause your tooth to go black. In the early stages this is likely to be staining from substances like tobacco, red wine and strongly colored food. If your oral hygiene routine is not thorough enough to remove the acid-excreting bacteria each day, the acid will slowly eat away at your tooth.

As the tooth gets eaten away, tooth decay sets in. Tooth decay naturally looks black and can give the appearance of a black tooth. This gives the look of rotten teeth and is a classic result of not looking after your teeth for a considerable period of time.

• The death of a tooth

When a tooth dies, the blood supply – which gives the tooth its natural, healthy color – will stop. Because the tooth is not receiving the nutrients it needs, it will begin to necrotize, darken, die and slowly go black.

Will my tooth go black after root canal?

A common misconception is that a tooth will go black after a root canal treatment.

Teeth will often go black before root canal treatment as the tooth rots and decomposes on the inside.

If root canal treatment is done well, all of the decomposing tissue will be removed and the blackness will not get worse.

There may, however, be some mild darkening of the tooth after a root canal, depending on exactly how the root canal treatment is done and with which material.

How long does it take for a tooth to go black?

If the cause of the blackness is due to tooth decay, the blackness can happen over a period of years. If the cause of the blackness is due to trauma, as soon as the blood supply has been cut off from the tooth, the internal tooth tissue will begin to die and turn black.

Will a dead tooth go black?

If a dead tooth is left untreated, it will go black as the internal tooth tissue dies and decomposes. If the dead tooth has been root treated with a tooth-colored treatment, the tooth may not go completely black, although it may darken slightly.

Will my chipped tooth go black?

If the chip in your tooth is just in the enamel (the hard outer layer of your tooth) then, so long as you keep the tooth clean, the chances are it will not go black. There is no need to see a dentist urgently, simply make an appointment at your earliest convenience to discuss how this can be repaired.

If the chip in your tooth goes through the enamel and into the dentine (the softer part of your tooth) then the dentine may pick up stains more readily and go dark. Because the dentine is softer, it will also be more prone to dental decay causing a black tooth. You should see a dentist about this; however, it would not be considered an emergency appointment unless it is accompanied by pain.

If the chip goes all the way through the enamel, dentine and down to the pulp (the living blood supply part of your tooth) this will more than likely be extremely painful and you may even see blood from the chip. If this is left untreated, not only could you be in extreme pain but the tooth could begin to die and will almost certainly go black. You will need to see an emergency dentist as soon as possible.

I hit my tooth- will it go black?

If the tooth has simply been knocked or hit, then it will not necessarily go black. If, however, the tooth has been hit so hard as to damage the blood supply then the tooth may begin to go black if the nerve dies. If you have hit your tooth and there is bleeding around the gum margin, we recommend you visit an emergency dentist to have an assessment.

Questions & Answers :