Many people have teeth that are naturally gray, but normally white teeth can turn gray for a variety of reasons. In some cases, a person’s entire smile may darken, but some people may find that only one of their teeth turns gray. Here’s why this discoloration can happen as well as a few ways your dentist may be able to address the problem with cosmetic dental treatments.
What Can Make Teeth Gray?
A person’s teeth may turn gray for reasons like:
- Tetracycline: This antibiotic drug can turn teeth gray if it is used in young children whose teeth are not completely developed or if a person’s mother took it while pregnant.
- Dental restorations: If a filling or crown is made from darkly colored materials such as amalgam, it may cause the teeth hosting it to take on a grayer appearance.
- Certain drugs used during dental treatment: Some medications used during root canal treatments contain chemicals like demeclocycline hydrochloride, triamcinolone acetonide, or calcium hydroxide. These ingredients can turn teeth grayish-brown in some cases.
- Dental injuries: An injury can cut off a tooth’s blood supply, which will cause it to die and turn gray. This can happen over several years, which can make it hard for a person to tell what caused the problem.
- Tooth decay: Dental infections can restrict a tooth’s blood supply, which can kill it and cause it to turn gray.
- Genetic conditions: Some people are born with conditions like dentinogenesis imperfecta that can make their teeth blue-gray.
- Age: Teeth may turn grayish-blue due to aging.
How Can My Dentist Address This Issue?
In many cases, a dentist can address dental injuries and infections that can turn teeth gray by administering an appropriate restorative treatment or replacing an old or defective restoration. However, your dentist may be able to brighten your smile with a cosmetic treatment such as veneers or teeth whitening.
Veneers can cover a range of dental defects such as chips, stains, gaps, cracks, and discoloration with lifelike porcelain shells that restore the teeth’s ideal appearance. This treatment can completely transform a smile in as few as two appointments. Professional teeth whitening kits reliably deliver results far superior to those of store-bought products, and they do not carry the same risk of injury since they use customized dental trays.
Gray teeth can be a troublesome issue for an image-conscious individual, but there are measures you can take to address the issue. Talking with your dentist can help you find the best solution for you.
About the Practice
Forever Young Dentistry of Sterling Heights offers the finest dental health services available. Led by Drs. Michael Young and Joseph Samona, the staff treats each patient with genuine compassion and outstanding customer service. Areas of expertise include general, restorative, emergency, and cosmetic dentistry. To learn more about how gray teeth can be treated, contact the office online or dial (586) 315-4176.