What's That Brown Spot on Your Tooth?

When you see a brown spot on your tooth, you might be a bit concerned. Many patients assume any brown spot is a cavity, when in fact, there are several possible causes of brown spots. Here's a closer look at those causes and what you can do about a brown spot in each case.

Tartar

Plaque is that fuzzy, gunk-like substance that builds up on your teeth. When you don't brush it away properly, it can harden into a substance called tartar. Usually, tartar has a yellowish color, but it can also be brown. If the spot is along your gumline or on the border of a tooth where it sits against another tooth, it may just be some tartar. Your dentist can remove tartar with a special scraping tool. (Don't try this yourself, as you may accidentally scrape away some of your tooth enamel.)

Staining

If there's an area where your tooth enamel is a little rougher, this area may simply grab onto staining materials like coffee and tea more easily than the rest of your teeth, causing them to take on a brown, stained look. Your dentist can tell within a few seconds if a brown spot is just a stain. He or she can apply a bleaching solution to help lighten the stain. Filing down the enamel in that area just slightly may also help—though your dentist will only do this if you have very thick, strong enamel that can handle filing.

Fluorosis

Teeth need fluoride to build healthy enamel. But if you get too much fluoride, you can get a condition called fluorosis, which causes brown spots to form on the teeth. If you use a lot of toothpastes and rinses that contain fluoride while also undergoing fluoride treatments at the dentist, this is a possible cause of your brown spots. You dentist may advise you to stop the fluoride treatments. Whitening procedures may help restore your tooth's natural color.

Decay

Sadly, brown spots are cavities sometimes. If the tooth with the spot is sore, or if the spot seems "sticky," a cavity is likely. If you've just noticed the spot, however, chances are good that you caught it pretty early and that your dentist can fix it with a small filling.

Don't ignore a brown spot on your tooth. Always ask your dentist about it, since it could be anything from a stain to a cavity that needs treatment.