Upon noticing a greyish tint on enamel, people often ask, “Can you bruise a tooth?” Yes. If you have ever bitten a fork or hard food, you might know the dull, lasting pain that follows. This could be a bruised tooth, also called sprained tooth syndrome.
What Does a Bruised Tooth Look Like?
When you think of a bruised tooth, you might imagine it changing colors like bruised skin. While teeth can turn yellow, green, or other colors for some oral issues, a bruised tooth usually turns pink or gray.
How Can You Bruise a Tooth?
Usually, an injury can trigger a tooth sprain, similar to a bruise on your body. This can happen from biting something hard, grinding your teeth, or getting hit in the mouth during sports or an accident. When a tooth gets hurt:
- The soft tissue and ligaments around the tooth take the impact.
- Small blood vessels around the tooth burst, and the blood travels through the tip of the tooth root.
- This causes the tooth to change color and become painful, much like a bruise on your skin. The pain might spread to other teeth, not just the injured one.
Symptoms of a Bruised Tooth
The first sign of a sprained tooth is pain. Dentists look for dull or achy pain as a sign of a ligament sprain. You might also feel sharp, localized pain in one tooth. If the pain is in a broad area or hard to pinpoint, it could mean an infection or toothache.
An infection or toothache from a dental disease or severe injury needs immediate medical attention. But a bruised tooth can usually wait a few days to see if it heals on its own. Other signs of a bruised tooth include:
- Lingering soreness
- Inflammation
- Sensitivity
- Redness
- Bleeding gums
How to Heal a Bruised Tooth?
Sprained tooth ligaments take time to heal because it’s hard to avoid using your teeth. Chewing, talking, and swallowing all strain your teeth, which can worsen the pain and spread it to nearby areas.
Rest is the best initial treatment for a bruised tooth. Dental procedures can make the pain worse. However, if you’ve had recent dental work and your bite feels off, see your dentist. They can check if your bite needs adjusting.
You might be given medication to reduce pain and swelling. If you clench or grind your teeth, using a mouth guard can help protect them. Your doctor may also suggest eating soft foods until the pain goes away.
Bruised Tooth Healing Time
A bruised tooth is usually not an emergency and can heal by itself in a few days. But if the pain continues, it’s a good idea to see a dentist.
Bottom Line
A combination of soft and hard tissues makes our teeth. You might not think of teeth as living, but healthy teeth are alive. So, if you are concerned about “Can you bruise a tooth?” yes, just like your skin. However, bruises can heal quickly with the right treatment.
Visit our dental professionals at Katy Cypress Oral Surgery. Our oral surgeons can examine your condition and recommend the best possible treatments. Call us at (281) 667-0607 to reach out.