Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Discolored tooth?


I, and/or my child, have one tooth that is not the same color.
Should I be concerned?

Well, lets just say its a good idea to get it checked out.

Teeth discolor for a number of reasons.
If all of your teeth are discoloring at the same rate then it is more then likely due to staining
caused by foods you eat and/or oral habits you may have suck as smoking.
In that case there is not much to worry about.
Simple whitening can take care of that.

If you notice that one individual tooth is turning a different color then there is more cause for concern. One tooth discoloring on its own typically means that that tooth has moderate to severe nerve damage. This nerve damage can be caused by trauma, decay, or other causes. but regardless of the cause it is more then likely that the nerve is dead, or dying, and needs to be removed. This procedure is called a root canal. After the root canal is preformed then some sort of cosmetic procedure may be needed to restore the original color of the tooth. This may be a crown, veneer or cosmetic bonding.

Not many people realize it, but teeth are living organisms. They have blood coursing through the middle of them and just like any other living think they can die. If they do die then one of the number one signs of that death is a change in color.



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