Why is there black stuff on my dog's tooth? Is it a dental problem?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sallie’s teeth in the picture look fantastic! The black you are seeing is just pigment of her gums. Bad teeth have an red gum line or are purple looking compared to the other teeth. For dental care I recommend daily brushing, either with a finger or regular tooth brush. Always use a dog toothpaste as dogs cannot have fluoride. Daily brushing is best and is better than the dental chews. A lot of dental disease is based on genetics, so some dogs are more prone to bad teeth than others. Even with daily brushing, Sallie still may require a professional cleaning every 1-2 years. It is recommended for humans to have twice a year cleanings and we brush our teeth everyday. I would keep up the excellent work and have your vet look at her teeth twice yearly to discuss further monitoring. Kisses to Sallie!

I would recommend getting your vet to check this closely, it appears in the pictures that the lower canine is making contact with the gum and chronic irritation can cause inflammation, scarring and occasionally tumour changes

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Judging from the pictures you provided, the tooth looks as though it was quite infected especially if it fell out on its own. A lot of times, teeth that are this infected that Fall out have also lost some of the root characteristics. By this I mean the roots will sometimes appear as though they are missing or very rounded and short as opposed to their healthier appearance. A lot of times these teeth will have a black discoloration if the tooth is dead or may appear black due to the Tartar and plaque that has grown on the surface of the tooth. Flushing with saline is fine and the hole where the tooth previously was should heal on its own now that the problematic tooth is out of the tooth socket. I would definitely consider keeping him on antibiotics and also do what we call Pulse antibiotic therapy. I did this with my own dog and would Place him on a course of antibiotics every other month at a high dose using clindamycin as my primary choice as it is very good for bone and dental infections. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available by phone or text based consultation if needed.

Poor Minnie. The black tooth is likely infected and the red gums indicate periodontal disease. She needs to go to your vet for a mouth exam and likely will need to have this area cleaned well and potentially have to have the tooth extracted. The vet may recommend dental x-rays for optimal care. Until you can get her in you can rinse her mouth with pet formulated mouth wash to help with the odor and cut down in the infection. Best of luck at the vet.

Thank you for posting pictures. (I know that is always a challenge with a puppy!) From the pictures, the brown area just appears to be particulate build up on the tooth. That particular tooth has 3 roots, so there is a depression between the roots that things can get stuck in. (One of my dogs always has problems there.) I would recommend using an infant toothbrush and pet toothpaste (my favorite is PetSmile (http://store.petsmileusa.com)) to brush her teeth and continue daily. I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using PetCoach.

Akilla appears to have severe dental disease from these photos. She needs to see a veterinarian for assessment and probable dental cleaning and and extractions under anesthesia. The loose teeth are usually painful and she is at risk for dental abscess or systemic infection from her mouth. Here's some more info. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/dental-disease-in-dogs https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/dogs-nutrition-and-periodontal-disease https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/dog-care/promoting-wellness/common-dog-dental-problems https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/dental-cleaning-in-dogs Best of luck. Thank you for using PetCoach.

The teeth look absolutely fine, the dark color in the middle is due to a small area in the tooth that is much deeper than the rest of the teeth, it can be rectify only via dental scale and polish but it will likely come back within weeks, anyway - nothing to worry about.