a friend has black lines under several front teeth, black in the gums + a chipped tooth. What's up with that?

Question

The black bits don't hurt, I'm told, but they are new. They circle under the few bottom teeth and look as if they run into the gums there as well. This friend does not see a dentist regularly, but does not have yellowed teeth and recently one of the teeth with the black bits chipped away at the back, like a sliver came out of it. There is not a cavity where it chipped, and it does not hurt, but you can see a gap between the two bottom teeth where they should meet instead. I'm told there are also no fillings present in or near these areas. WHat is this disease process and what is likely to happen if this person keeps refusing to see a dentist?

Answer 1

My brother has noticed that one of his front teeth is doing the same thing. Back in the early 90's he wore braces and had problems with very crooked teeth. He has recently gone to his dentist who told him that the nerves in that tooth had died (as well as the one next to it) and that the tooth was dead. Eventually he will have to replace it with a fake one. The problem (according to his dentist) is that he has had trauma to those teeth. The only trauma has to have been the braces and extensive straightening that was done in the 90's. He said that his don't hurt either. Your friend needs to go to the dentist but if he is like my brother then nothing can be done to save the teeth. Good luck getting him to go though because most people who won't go normally don't unless they are in pain.

Answer 2

It could be a couple of different things. The black parts could
be decay (cavities.) It could also be tartar that has built up, it
then stains and turns yellow, brown or black. It could also be
staining from smoking, coffee, etc. Your friend needs to see a
dentist for a thorough exam, xrays, and cleaning and evaluation
of the situation. Your friend probably has some serious areas
of gum disease, and not getting it treated will usually lead to
infection and tooth loss.