Common causes and treatment for canine teeth discoloration

According to veterinary technician Denise S. Rollings, AAS, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), tooth discoloration can occur in canines when teeth are damaged. "[The teeth] can change from their normal color to colors such as purple, pink, gray, or even orange," Rollings told dvm360^® in a recent interview.

"What that [discoloration] is is the pulp sustenance some kind of trauma such as the dog is running and hits something or tries to catch something or maybe accidentally a car door opened on his face something like that and the sort of bleeds from the inside," explained Rollings.

She noted that when trauma to the tooth occurs, it bleeds internally and the pulp will begin bleeding and traveling through tiny dental tubules but have no place to go due to the enamel. This causes pressure inside the tooth and pressure necrosis which eventually causes the tooth to die. Rollings advised that when this situation arises, necessary treatment is required.

"The treatment option for those are to [perform] root canal therapy or extract. That is because the tissue inside that tooth is dead necrotic tissue," she explained.

To learn more about tooth discoloration and treatment options, watch the full interview below.