Firstly, the most common reason may be due to staining from foods and drinks we consume, certain medications that we take or from smoking. Some teeth may be more resistant to staining than others. Enamel, the white shell on the outside of our teeth, is porous and may attract more staining on one tooth compared to another. If you haven’t had a dental clean in some time, it is possible that a clean can remove these external stains from the teeth.

Another common reason one tooth has become discoloured may be due to trauma to the tooth, such as falling off our bike or injuring our teeth during sport. This trauma may occur as a child or as an adult. Depending on the age this happens, the tooth may or may not be able to heal by itself.

Sometimes, the tooth may heal itself and become more yellow or brown over time. Other times the tooth may die and slowly become a bluish-gray or brown colour. Depending on the timeframe that this change occurs, there may not be any signs or symptoms associated with the colour change. If this concerns you, let us know and we can have a closer look for you.

Teeth can also become discoloured from tooth decay and may show up as black or brown. Oftentimes it is quite difficult to spot these areas of decay until it is too late. If we leave them long enough, they may lead to pain and infection. Sometimes this may also cause the tooth to turn gray as it starts to die.

Finally, teeth can become discoloured from previous restorations on the tooth. If you have been bleaching your teeth, the discolouration may become more noticeable as crowns, veneers and even fillings do not whiten like natural teeth do. Over time, certain types of traditional style crowns may also show up darker around the gums if they start to shrink away from the tooth.