Spots can appear on your teeth even though you are a diligent flosser or a brusher.
A dark or Black Spot On Tooth would be pointing out some severe issues like tooth decay, although a few kinds of discolorations can form.
You may wonder why it is happening and what you can do to remove them from your teeth if your pearly whites are spotted and discolored.
Today, we will be explaining the main causes of the occurrence of this dark spot why you wish to get rid of them, and how you would know if you are dealing with something as serious as this.
Contents
What are the possible causes of Brown or Black Spot On Tooth?
So, what are the causes of black spots on the tooth?
There are various reasons for tooth discoloration, ranging from purely cosmetic surface stains to symptoms of decay on teeth or damages appearing as lines, scars, and smaller dots.
A few extrinsic tooth stains form spots when the staining elements from the acidic or dark foods penetrate the tooth enamel, giving your tooth a yellowish or brownish tint of color or a precisely dull appearance.
These extrinsic stains would result from years of smoking or tobacco use, along with a diet that includes lots of acidic foods like coffee, tea, soda, and red wine.
The stains would usually be removed through cosmetic dentistry procedures like dental bonding, teeth whitening, and porcelain veneers.
There are intrinsic stains that would develop from within the tooth resulting from environmental and genetic factors. There are medical conditions and a few antibiotics, trauma to the teeth, excessive fluoride, internal fractures, and infected root canals all start manifesting, leading to tooth discoloration.
The treatment of a black spot on the tooth or this intrinsic stain depends completely on its cause.
The filling or the crown would be sufficient, as well as intensive vital processes such as dental bonding, veneer, and root canal surgeries that would be needed here.
Tooth Decay
Tooth decay is one of the significant concerning reasons you may have a black spot on your tooth.
When there is an accumulation of plaque and tartar on your teeth, it will lead to tooth decay.
It will allow sugar, bacteria, and acid to cling to the teeth and eat away your tooth enamel and the mineral’s structure.
Tooth decay will lead to dental caries with smaller holes in your tooth enamel if they are not addressed or diagnosed in their earliest stages.
The holes would appear as smaller black and brown spots on teeth.
The following are also some diseases accompanied by the black spot of tooth decay:
- Persistent toothache or pain
- Tooth sensitivity to hot as well cold temperatures along with sugary foods or drinks
- Pain during eating
- A smaller pit or hole on the tooth
Silver Diamine Fluoride
There are non-invasive treatments for the cavities, as silver diamine fluoride will kill bacteria by arresting tooth decay on this spot.
But, it would be leaving behind this black spot where tooth decay will occur.
It is a cavity treatment not commonly used among adults due to discolorations.
But, there would be times recommended for kids developing cavities on the teeth of kids and babies who would require special requirements making it difficult for them to have their cavities filled and drilled.
Fluorosis
Fluorosis is a condition occurring as an outcome of taking a lot of fluorides when your teeth develop in childhood.
It appears as an outcome of consuming fluoridated water and swallowing a lot of toothpaste or taking vitamins or supplements that contain fluoride.
Fluorosis mainly causes discolorations on teeth that present darker spots and white spots.
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Other Causes Of Black Spot On Tooth
There are additional reasons why you should be developing a black spot on your tooth, including:
- Injury over the affected tooth
- The buildup of tartar on the tooth’s surface
- Stains resulting from the consumption of a few specific drinks and foods
- Chewing or smoking tobacco
- A few specific medical conditions
Symptoms of Black Spot On Tooth
It is not common for a tooth to change quickly from a whitish shade to a darker black one, and the person would mainly note a few other signs before the tooth turns out to be black.
A person’s teeth might be becoming quite sensitive as it results in pain while drinking or eating before the teeth discolor.
The teeth would also develop smaller dots appearing black often near your gum line, and it is quite common in kids to have black teeth.
The person will surely notice the black coloration on the outer side of the molars and the interior of your front teeth when tartar is the main cause.
Tartar continues to build up the stains unless a dentist removes it, and holes would appear with the erosion of the enamel in these cases.
Read– Black Tartar On Teeth
Getting rid of black spots from the teeth
There are several ways to remove the black spots from the teeth.
It is the treatment that depends on the cause behind this as described:
Tooth decay
There are various treatments like filling up the cavities, root canal treatments, and a crown on teeth are recommended.
The treatment is mainly decided based on the seriousness of the cavity.
Tartar
The buildup is removed with the help of dental processes like dental prophylaxis, and it also helps reduce the stains on the teeth.
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Teeth whitening treatment
The dentist will remove the black stains on the teeth using a peroxide-based bleaching kit and the whitening strip.
Whitening toothpaste or powders
There are shallow stains on the teeth that can be removed using abrasive toothpaste with peroxide or baking soda as its ingredients.
Restorative bonding
It also involves making use of a material that is known as a composite.
It is molded to the tooth, polishing and matching your natural tooth’s shade.
Veneers
Veneers are mainly advised for stubborn fluorosis and darker spots.
These are similar to the shells that will be bonding to the frontal side of your tooth.
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Preventing Black Spot on Tooth
The following are a few tips that can help in keeping your teeth healthy as well as looking at the best:
You will have to maintain great oral hygiene when you brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste and floss about twice a day.
Ensure to brush for about two minutes to get the ideal outcomes.
You should also use mouthwash that mainly contains menthol, alcohol, and eucalyptus oil.
The ingredients in the products would help kill bacteria present in your teeth, but they should not be replaced by flossing and brushing.
- Ensure that you visit your dentist every six months for cleaning and checkups.
- The dentists would recommend drinking coffee and other tooth-staining beverages with the help of a straw to prevent the liquid from touching your teeth.
- Consume water right after you have consumed tea, coffee, red sauce, chocolate, or wine. The food, as well as the drinks, would lead to stains and spots.
- Ensure that you avoid products with nicotine, such as pipe tobacco, cigarettes, cigars, or chewing tobacco.
- You should consult your dentist if you require professional whitening treatments or any additional steps for safeguarding your teeth.
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FAQs
Below we share some FAQs related to the “Black Spot On Tooth”
1. Does a black spot on a tooth mean a cavity?
The cavity is mainly decayed on the tooth.
The common cause of the black spot on your teeth mostly leads to tooth cavities or decay.
The cavity forms when there is a buildup of plaque and contains acids that allow the erosion of the surface enamels of the tooth.
The hole in the tooth is mainly the protective layer showing a black dot.
2. Will you be able to get rid of a black spot on the tooth?
The discoloration can be removed if the dark spot is caused due to staining both in-office as well as at-home treatments.
The current options for dental stain removal would include peroxide-based tooth bleaching kits and whitening strips, according to the review 2017.
3. Why are there black spots on my gum?
When there are foreign objects stuck under the tissue of the gum would appear as black spots.
The main causes are due to the older amalgamation filling becoming pushed into the gum tissues, leading to the blue or black spot.
4. What is the appearance of a filled cavity?
They would be confirming the existence of a cavity in one or even more teeth.
Mainly, there is a cavity that would be showing up on the X-ray as a shadow or darker spot appears on the tooth.
Meanwhile, a general filling shows up on the brighter spot on your tooth.
5. Will stress lead to tooth decay?
Stress is mainly connected to tooth decay due to its impact on bodies for flushing out the protective minerals and the increase of the acidic, bacteria-filled, cavity-causing environment around our mouth.
6. At which stage can tooth decay be reversible?
Tooth decay can only be reversible when it affects your tooth’s enamel. Once there is a progressive, decay to the dentine below this enamel it is irreversible.
So you should be avoiding the drill if your dentist locates the decay in about every stage here.
7. Will a cavity go away on its own?
Some cavities will not go away on their own.
The cavities would be expanding to the point slowly where they would be able to move into the pulp and the pulp chamber of your tooth, leading to pain, which would eventually lead to the requirement for a root canal.
But try getting to your dentist sooner as you notice the cavity.
8. Will I wait six months to file a cavity?
It will take anywhere from about six months to about four to five years before the cavity treatment.
So the conditions of your mouth would be changing daily.
9. Is there oral anxiety?
Oral anxieties cannot be anxiety, stress, and depression in terms of oral health.
However, oral anxiety is the main effect of these mental health issues ending up having oral health, and it is mainly true when you are struggling with depression.
10. What happens when you do not treat a cavity?
The decay would penetrate your enamel and enter deeper into your tooth’s root if you do not require any cavities.
Not treating this cavity would result in tooth damage, infection, and tooth loss.
You should be visiting the dentist every six months as you can get a cavity that is filled as soon as it is located.
The bottom line
The black spots can still show up on your teeth even if you are flossing or brushing regularly.
A few discolorations from specific foods and drinks are quite common and are not mainly the cause for concern.
However, the black dot or the spot can be a warning sign of tooth decay.
It is vital to follow up with your dentists if you notice any kind of dark or black spot.
They would be determining the cause offering you the best options.
Your dentists may also be recommending a filling, root canal, and other options if the Black Spot On Tooth is mainly due to tooth decay.
Your dentists would be recommending specific at-home or in-office treatments for removing the spots and whitening your teeth if these dark spots are due to staining from drinks, nicotine products, or foods.
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