Why is my front bottom tooth dark?

Q:
Via email Monday April 5, 2010 from Chris.

I have noticed over the past two years my lower front tooth has become darker than the teeth beside it. The tooth almost looks grey. When I was 17 (I am now 26) I fell on my face off a skateboard. At that time I cut up my lips a lot and banged my bottom teeth, but nothing happened at the time and I haven't thought of it since until I noticed my tooth was going grey. I don't have any pain, but I do not like how it looks at all.and wondering what to do.

A:

I cannot comment specifically on your tooth as I haven't examined it, but I can give you some broad answers that may help guide you in what to do next.

First, a tooth that darkens overall and has a greyish appearance typically is one in that the nerve and pulp is dying or dead. A healthy tooth has a rich vascular network within the pulp which nourishes the tooth, when trauma occurs that blood supply overtime can coagulate like a bruise and the nerve of the tooth ceases having sensation. This is when the grey colour appears and unfortunately stays.

The solutions to this may vary, in most cases a root canal can be performed which takes the dead nerve and pulp out of the tooth and replaced with an inert material which fills the space. After the root canal is performed a dental crown or cap may be recommended to protect the remaining tooth structure and prevent fracture. This new dental crown can be matched to your existing adjacent teeth to look as natural as possible.

In select cases where a dental crown or cap is not the choice, dental bleaching may be done on the inside of the tooth to remove the staining on the inside of the tooth. After this bleaching is completed a permanent filling would be put on the tooth to cover the hole where access was made to perform a root canal.

I hope this has helped. Your next step is to visit a Toronto Dentist to assess your particular dental situation.

Thanks for the great question!
Nathan