There are quite a few things that dark spots on your teeth may mean. It could be something simple like a stained pit in your tooth, or it could be a bigger problem, such as a cavity or a spot of decay forming on the surface of your tooth.
The only way for you to know which it is, is to come in and have an appointment with us for a checkup. We will then look at the tooth, and let you know what is going on.
Spot On Your Teeth Often Come from What You Eat
There are two main types of spots you can see on your teeth. The first is a pit stain. This is when there is a pit on the surface of your tooth that got stained from either foods you eat, or debris left behind of the foods you ate. If you regularly eat foods like curry or beets, the stain could simply come from those foods.
The other type of dark spot we see most regularly is that of a cavity. Cavities often form inside the teeth, and are difficult to detect or see when they are small. That is why we go through and do x-rays. However, there are times where cavities form near the surface of your tooth.
These are often bigger cavities, but as long as they have not cracked or broken your tooth, we can often fill them or crown them after cleaning out the tooth. That way, you still have all the integrity of the tooth, without the problems that come from an untreated cavity.
Noticing a dark spot on your tooth is not the end of the world. In fact, there are spots on most people’s teeth. If you notice one, simply come in for a checkup and let us determine what is causing it. From there, we can figure out how to fix it.