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When Children’s Teeth Turn Black

When Children’s Teeth Turn Black

By Reno Laser Dentistry

December 20, 2011

Category: dental reno

Tags: Dentist Reno Laser Dentistry Children's Oral Care Children and Accidents Black Tooth or Teeth

Having children is a huge responsibility and then all the worries that parents have. We tend to panic when something out of the ordinary happens, so what if your child’s tooth or teeth turn black. What do you do, panic?

There can be many causes of teeth turning dark or black. The most likely cause is trauma from a fall that damaged the nerve and blood vessels inside the pulp of the tooth. Generally, you’d recall that your child fell, had a swollen or bloody lip or nose. What parents need to be aware of is that discoloration doesn’t always occur right away following an accident.

If you don’t recall anything like this happening, the next most common problem is baby bottle mouth. Many children develop decay of the 4 or 6 front teeth from drinking sugar containing beverages at bedtime. Even milk contains sugar. It’s best to put plain water in your child’s bottle when putting them down for a nap or at night.

Young children need help with tooth brushing before bedtime. You should place a pea-size amount of fluoride-containing toothpaste on your child’s toothbrush and help them brush their teeth, including the back teeth on the outside and inside. Brushing should take 2-3 minutes by the clock. Most people brush less than one minute. Dr. McElhinney and his dental staff in Reno are very helpful and knowledgeable on this topic, give them a call and see for yourself.