When my son was three, he took a tumble and bumped his face. He was upset and cut his lip, but his teeth looked fine, so I didn’t even consider taking him to the pediatric dentist back then. Here we are six months later and his tooth is turning an ugly gray color. At first, I thought it was just come kind of staining, but I have scrubbed at it to no avail and it looks like the whole thing is colored. I know in an adult this means the tooth is dead, but my son doesn’t seem bothered by it at all unless I’m messing with it. I think this must be connected to the fall, but I don’t understand why it would take so long to develop- he’s four now. I’m kicking myself for not taking him to the pediatric dentist back then. Could this have been prevented? Going forward, do I need to book him with a pediatric dentist, a root canal specialist, or should I just monitor for more symptoms?
Thanks,
Delilah M. – Kentucky
Dear Delilah,
You likely won’t need to do either. When a tooth is injured and dying. it can turn a grey color. That’s the bruising being seen from inside the tooth. It does sound like his tooth has died, but you couldn’t have prevented it, even if you took him in right away. The damage was done instantaneously. Nothing could have stopped the progression.
Your son’s baby tooth will likely fall out in the next couple of years anyway, so you may not need to treat the tooth at all. It’s always a good idea to keep an eye on it and if you’re worried about anything, you can have it checked out by the pediatric dentist. It’s up to you. But, you’re not a bad parent if you just wait it out.
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