Discolored Teeth

A discolored tooth can occur after trauma. Typically this happens when a pet chews on hard objects or from blunt trauma to the mouth. The pulp of the tooth bleeds and initially stains the dentin pink. Eventually the tooth will become a purple or grey.

A study reported in the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry by Dr. Fraser Hale (JVD, Vol18:1, March 2001 and the Veterinary Dental Forum in October 2001) showed that 94% of discolored teeth suffer from partial or total pulp necrosis and only 58% of those show radiographic signs of necrosis. The study concluded that discolored teeth need to be either extracted or treated with root canal therapy.

We recommend that discolored teeth (even partially discolored) are either extracted or treated with root canal therapy. If you suspect that your cat or dog has a discolored tooth, please contact our office to schedule an appointment with one of our doctors.

Veterinary Dental Services, LLC
138 Great Road, Acton, MA 01720 · (978) 929-9200
FAX: 978-929-9979 Email: reception@veterinarydental.com