Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Brown spots on teeth near gums

Brown spots on teeth near gums? What are the brown spots?

Brown spots on teeth near gums is something we hear from some potential patients. So what are they?

Browns spots on teeth near gums can be one of several things.

The most common thing that these brown spots end up being is decay. The decay will often have a black component to it or be surrounded by a white decalcified area. Another possibility is stain. This stain can be from many different things, such as smoking, chew, coffee, tea, etc. The area can also be a decalcified area that subjectively may or may not be decay depending on who you talk to. Basically you will need a dentist to look at the area to tell you for sure, but if it has been over a year since your last dental visit I would bet it’s decay.

Image of brown spots on my teeth near gums

Great image showing a brown spot on the gumline. The brown spot is decay and there is a small fleck of black and then white decalcification all around.

 

Did this brown spot on my tooth appear overnight?

Some people will say that the brown spot appeared overnight or there was nothing there yesterday and today there is. Well, you never noticed it yesterday but now that you have you are very visually aware of it. Decay takes time to progress, weeks to months at minimum. While it is progressively getting worse, it’s unlikely there was nothing there one day ago. What may have happened was there was a white decalcified area covering the brown spot and the decalcified area finally broke away.

Brown spots on teeth near gums

A brown spot of decay on the lower teeth near the gums.

How do you fix the brown spots along the gumline?

The answer to how we fix brown spots on teeth near the gums depends on how big the decay, assuming the brown stain is decay. We will often use a white composite filling to restore the area. If the decay is really deep you could end up with a root canal, but that spot would have to be very large. The longer you wait to treat a brown spot the more likely it is that you will need a root canal, so treat asap!

How do these brown spots near the gum line form?

Not cleaning the teeth near the gumline well enough is how these occur. They are very common to see on kids in braces that aren’t brushing well. The white spot lesion is often seen near these brown spots. Diet plays a huge role as well, arguably more important than the hygiene.

How can you prevent future brown stains on teeth at the gumline?

Change your diet away from sugar and acid things. Increase your oral hygiene regimen, electric tooth brushes help a lot. Using a remineralizing product may be of some benefit as will fluoride, IF the area has not already cavitated.

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