After an injury, color changes to a tooth may occur rapidly or take several weeks to develop. A tooth may change color soon after an injury and later return to its normal color.
A baby tooth (primary tooth) that turns yellow usually does not require treatment. It may mean hardening in the inner core of the tooth (pulpal calcification) has occurred.
A gray, black, or pink color to a tooth may indicate bleeding inside the tooth. Further evaluation by your health professional is needed.
After evaluation, treatment of a discolored tooth might include removal of the tooth (extraction), a root canal, or simply watching the tooth for a while.
Credits
| Author | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Editor | Alison Allen |
| Editor | Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC |
| Associate Editor | Tracy Landauer |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Steven K. Patterson, BSc, DDS, MPH - Dentist |
| Last Updated | December 1, 2006 |
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