Black teeth can mean serious dental problems like tooth decay, infection (dying tooth), or severe tartar buildup, often requiring a dentist for treatment, but can also be caused by extrinsic stains from food/tobacco, certain medications, or even ancient cultural practices like Japan's ohaguro, so seeing a dentist for diagnosis is crucial.
Can whitening fix a black tooth? Whitening can help only if stains are external. Internal discoloration typically requires veneers, bonding, crowns, or root canal treatment depending on cause.
Poor oral hygiene
If your oral hygiene routine is not thorough enough to remove the acid-excreting bacteria each day, the acid will slowly eat away at your tooth. As the tooth gets eaten away, tooth decay sets in. Tooth decay naturally looks black and can give the appearance of a black tooth.
Can a black spot on a tooth go away? If it is a surface stain, it can be removed with professional cleaning or teeth whitening products and proper dental care at home. However, if the dark spot is an early cavity, it will not go away on its own and requires proper treatment from a dentist.
Poor oral hygiene: Lack of proper brushing and flossing can lead to the buildup of dental plaque and stains on the teeth, causing them to appear black or discoloured.
They can also mean you have cavities forming. Black spots on your teeth typically indicate areas of severe decay.
Are black spots always cavities? No. They may be stains, tartar, trauma-related discoloration, or early-stage decay. Only a dental exam can confirm the exact cause.
Tooth turning black suddenly: If this happens overnight or in a short time, it could signal a severe issue that needs immediate attention. Swelling or bad taste: If the black tooth is accompanied by swelling, a foul taste, or a bad odor, it's likely infected, and you'll want to see an emergency dentist.
Dark spots on our teeth need not always be cavities. Naturally occurring dark spots caused by staining of the teeth are a common condition that very often goes undetected. Tooth discoloration is usually present in the very small pits and ridges on the surface of human teeth.
Can Black Spots Be Removed?
A black tooth is not something to ignore, as it often indicates an underlying problem that could worsen if left untreated. While not all cases are dental emergencies, it's important to consult your dentist as soon as you notice any discoloration.
Discoloration: A dead tooth often looks yellow, grey, or slightly black. Smell: A dead tooth sometimes smells bad or causes a bad taste in your mouth. This is from tooth decay or other infection. Pain: This pain comes from inflammation and infection in the pulp cavity or surrounding bone.
Only a dentist or hygienist can remove tartar. You can't remove it with brushing and flossing alone.
Having a black tooth can be concerning, but it doesn't necessarily mean it needs to be pulled. The discoloration of the tooth may be caused by various factors, such as decay or staining from drinks like tea or coffee.
As dentists, we're trained to diagnose and treat all five stages of tooth decay:
Recognizing the Signs of a Stage 1 Early Cavity
You might notice slight discoloration on the tooth's surface, typically appearing as white, chalky spots. These spots result from the enamel losing minerals, a process known as demineralization.
Both stains and cavities can appear as brown spots on your teeth. Stains aren't painful but cavities are. Tell tale signs of a cavity are teeth sensitivity, holes or markings in white, grey or black on teeth.
One of the most common causes of black teeth is untreated tooth decay. When plaque builds up on the teeth and isn't removed, it begins to break down enamel and dentin, leading to cavities. Over time, the decayed areas can darken and eventually appear black, especially if the damage is deep or widespread.
A black tooth can result from decay, trauma, staining, or old dental work. Treatment depends on the cause and may include professional cleaning, fillings, whitening, or crowns. Early intervention can save a black tooth in many cases, so it's essential to consult a dentist for an accurate diagnosis and care.
A tooth infection that begins with something as minor as a toothache can quickly become a serious health concern. Bacteria from an untreated dental abscess can spread into other areas of the body, leading to a life-threatening condition known as sepsis, which must be taken care of in the hospital.
Symptoms
A black spot on your tooth may look small, but it could be your body's early warning sign that something is wrong. Whether it is early decay, enamel erosion, or a buildup that brushing cannot fix, it is not something to ignore.
While it is usually difficult to see a cavity in its early stages, some cavities start with a whitish or chalky appearance on the enamel of your tooth. More serious cases of tooth decay can have a discolored brown or black color. However, most often there are no distinguishable red alerts.
It can take anything from 6 months to 5 years for a cavity to form, and factors which affect this timescale include: Genetics – some people have thinner enamel than others and are therefore more at risk from fast-spreading decay.