The human mind is predisposed to making sense. We tend to visualize the things that we hear about. We hear the word teeth and automatically picture mostly rectangular or square-shaped structures that are white (as most of us desire) in color, or perhaps with a hint of yellow. But how would you react if someone told you that their tooth was turning pink? It’s strange, isn’t it? Well, no matter how unbelievable it sounds, a pink tooth isn’t fictitious.
What exactly is a pink tooth?
As the word itself suggests, ‘Pink tooth’ is a tooth. Which looks pink in color and has a pinkish hue to it.
Why does my tooth look pink?
The portion of teeth that is visible to us (also known as the crown) is broadly made up of three layers. –
- Enamel – outermost layer
- Dentin – middle layer
- Pulp – innermost layer
The pulp chamber is filled with nerves and vessels. Scientists speculate that the loss of internal dentin results in an increase in the space occupied by the pulp chamber, thereby allowing more blood vessels to use up the vacant area and giving the tooth a pinkish hue.
Does that imply that individuals who have a broader pulp chamber will have a pink-colored tooth?
Absolutely not!
We need to understand that free flow of blood in the pulp chamber due to pulpal damage or irritation accompanied by internal resorption in the visible portion of the tooth is what results in a tooth looking pinkish.
How is a pink tooth caused?
The major reason for the pink tooth was found to be an injury to the tooth. The reasons may be as follows:
- Physical trauma to a tooth
- Thermal injury to a tooth
- Exposure of tooth to certain chemicals.
- Caries or bacterial invasion of pulp.
Symptoms of Pink Tooth
Besides having a pinkish hue usually these teeth are asymptomatic (no symptoms).
More often than not a Pink tooth is discovered by chance owing to the lack of symptoms in these cases.
In some cases, a person might experience the occurrence of pain when the problem has further progressed.
Treatment
The treatment plan for a pink tooth depends on the extent of damage that has occurred.
Let’s just say that if a Pink tooth has been detected in its early stage, an endodontic therapy such as Root Canal Treatment can help save the tooth.
But what if one was not lucky enough to spot a pink tooth in its early stages? Extraction (removal of the infected tooth) is the answer to such cases. Later on, the extracted or missing tooth can be easily replaced by a dental implant or bridge.
So, this once again puts forth the importance of getting regular dental checkups, not just for you but also for your children, who are more prone to physical injuries while playing.
Focus Dental Care Hyderabad can be your one-stop solution if you find yourself having any dental problems (such as pink teeth). Our expert team of endodontists, pediatric dentists, prosthodontists, and oral implantologists would give you and your family the best treatment plan.