Bruised Teeth

Ligaments hold your teeth in place. These connective tissues act as shock absorbers to cushion your teeth from everyday use. The black and blue of a body bruise are the result of capillaries bursting and darkening the surface of the skin. A similar discoloration can occur on an injured tooth. The impacted tooth might also ache from the blow to the ligaments that support it. When dental trauma occurs (such as a sports injury or biting a hard object), the soft tissue and ligaments around a tooth absorb the impact. When this happens, it causes the capillaries around the tooth to burst and travel through the apical foramen, or the opening at the tip of the root, giving the tooth a pink discoloration.