Why is my child’s gum black?

"My daughter's tooth chipped when she was a baby. Today, I noticed the gum right next to the chipped tooth is turning black. Is this normal?"

– Question from Emily of Northlakes in Brisbane

Oral Health Therapist, Chanelle replies:

You have every right to be worried if you notice your child’s gum has turned black/darkening around the gumline. Healthy gums are a nice pink colour, almost like the inside of your bottom lip. When they turn dark like that, it can mean there's an infection or other underlying issues going on. The best thing to do in this situation is to give us a call and schedule an appointment. We can take a closer look to see what may be going on in your child’s mouth and give a gum disease treatment Brisbane needed.

Why do gums change colour?

Gums that turn dark are usually trying to tell us something isn’t quite right. It could mean there's an infection - or some other problem going on.

Care of baby teeth is important

Normally, baby teeth don't fall out until around age seven to make way for the grown-up teeth underneath.

If that black gum and teeth is an infection, it could be a problem for the grown-up tooth growing underneath. Kind of like a bully blocking the way out! This could damage the adult tooth or even stop it from coming in straight.

More information about caring for your child’s teeth

Dr Darryl Marsh, has written a useful blog series relating to caring for your baby and children’s teeth and you may find some more useful information in these articles:

• Dental advice for new parents
• Why treat baby teeth when they are only going to fall out anyway?
• Keeping up with your child’s dental health
• Advanced dental testing for healthy kiddy smiles
• Special advice to help children avoid dental problems
• Seven easy steps to help your child avoid tooth cavities