Expert: Tony Appleton BDS DPDS - 3/31/2007

Question
Hi, I have braces now and I hit my front tooth in my knee while playing a few weeks ago. Where the gum and the tooth meet was bleeding. My gum was visibly bloodshot, but i'm not sure if my tooth is too. It is sensitive to cold, drinks mostly. After a few days it started to get darker, now its slightly grayish. My mom bought special toothpaste and mouthwash and i think its turning lighter again. We went to the dentist and he took an x-ray, but he didn't see anything wrong. He said if its damaged it will turn black in a couple of years. So my question is, do YOU think it is going to turn black soon and fall out? Do i have to do anything else about it to keep it healthy?
thank you so much,
Noemi  

Answer
Hi Naomi

If your tooth has gone darker (i.e. it appears much more grey than the adjacent teeth), then it is likely that the nerve in the middle of the tooth has been damaged and has died or started to die. If this is the case then you will need to have root canal done on the tooth, but your tooth won't fall out!

There isn't a great deal you yourself can actually do, and your dentist is the best person to advise you on any further treatment.

Regards

Tony Appleton

P.S. try and keep your knee out of your mouth in the future ;-)