My Injured Tooth Is Turning Gray: Can It Be Saved?

Falls, car crashes, sports injuries, and other accidents are common causes of traumatic dental injuries. While these dental injuries can be minor (think chipped teeth), other times, dental trauma can cause teeth to severely crack, dislodge, or fall out.  

No matter the dental injury, you should have it examined. Any dental trauma can severely damage the outside and inside of the tooth. 

At his practices in Statesville and Hickory, North Carolina, endodontist Robert Scott Nance, DDS, MS, PA, and our team specialize in treating the inner portions of your tooth. 

If your tooth turns gray after an injury, it could indicate issues that need quick and effective treatment. 

This month’s blog discusses why teeth can turn gray after an injury and how we can help. 

Why dental injuries lead to gray teeth

Your teeth are living, with nerves, blood vessels, and other cells providing them with vitality. The innermost chamber of your teeth is called the pulp, which is where those nerves and blood vessels reside.  

If bacteria enter your tooth’s pulp, the inner chamber can become inflamed, which can eventually lead to severe infection and tooth death if left untreated. 

Cavities are a top cause since the holes and cracks provide the perfect access point for dangerous and damaging bacteria. However, dental trauma can also lead to pulp damage and decay. This can happen from the injury or from injury-induced cracks in your tooth that give entry to bacteria. 

Once the pulp damage and inflammation have advanced, the nerves and blood vessels can die and turn your tooth gray. Besides a gray hue, other indicators of a dead tooth include bad breath, tooth and gum sensitivity, and swelling along your gum line. 

Can gray teeth be saved?

Endodontist Dr. Nance specializes in saving teeth that have damaged or infected pulp. As soon as you notice your tooth has turned gray after an injury, seek care quickly to improve the prognosis. While it’s never the first course of action, your tooth might have to be extracted if the infection or damaged pulp is too severe. 

Dr. Nance can use root canal therapy to remove all the damaged or infected pulp. Once the debris has been removed, Dr. Nance can apply a whitening paste to the inside of your tooth to remove the internal staining. 

For expert treatment of dental injuries and gray teeth, contact Dr. Nance and our endodontic team. Schedule an appointment by calling your nearest office location today. 

Our dental team is available to answer your questions or discuss your concerns. Remember, we are here to help, and you can’t get that help unless you call.