I wonder if my emerging wisdom tooth is already rotten because it is brown. This tooth is on the lower left, and the nearby back teeth are dark near my gums. I may have cavities or enamel damage from acid exposure on my teeth. I am concerned about the wisdom tooth because it is dark but has not fully emerged yet. Isn’t that weird? Thanks. Ashlee
Ashlee,
Dr. Thomas would need to examine and x-ray your teeth for an accurate diagnosis. However, we will explain what may be happening based on your description.
Is Your Brown Wisdom Tooth Rotten?
If an emerging wisdom tooth is brown, it may be due to defective tooth enamel. Decay that starts but stops with treatment can darken tooth enamel. However, an erupting brown tooth can result from a health condition that occurred while the wisdom tooth’s enamel was forming.
Partially impacted wisdom teeth are at risk of decay, affecting the gum tissue around them and neighboring teeth. Defective tooth enamel can make a tooth susceptible to decay too, and the tooth may eventually need a crown. However, our jaws usually don’t have enough room for wisdom teeth, and a dentist or oral surgeon extracts them anyway. So, although your brown wisdom tooth is not an emergency, we recommend consulting with an experienced dentist to evaluate its condition, as well as the surrounding teeth. The dentist will determine whether you need dental fillings for your surrounding teeth and if your wisdom teeth require any attention.
Sugar Land, Texas, dentist Dr. Siny Thomas of Cornerstone Dentistry sponsors this post.