Dark Tooth

One of my toddlers teeth is changing color, is the tooth dead?

No, the tooth isn’t dead. Parents often express concern because one of their toddler’s teeth has darkened in color. It is a very common thing to see a dark baby tooth because kids are bumping their teeth all the time. That is why they call them toddlers! The color change generally happens two to three weeks after an accident. It's usually a grayish color, sometimes turning almost black and even often lightening back up. Whether the tooth turns dark or not doesn't always depend on the severity of the injury. If it doesn't turn dark after a month, generally you won't have any further problems. It will likely lighten back up. If it doesn't, there still may be no treatment needed other than observation.

If your child does have an accident and bumps their tooth it is always a good idea to have it checked by your dentist rather than waiting for a color change to occur. By doing so, even if nothing is wrong at the time your dentist will have a baseline to go from if the health of the tooth changes in the future. Rarely, a baby tooth that has been traumatized will abscess and need removal. The primary concern is the protection of the health of the developing permanent tooth and not allowing any infection to spread.