Black Friday on everything

10% off by post with code BF10, already added for you, and 10% off at our clinic when you pay. Dentures are not included.

15% off this weekend, by post and at our clinic, taken off for you. Dentures are not included.

10% off15% offBy post and at our clinic

What a dead tooth or grey tooth means

One tooth turning grey, brown or black often means the nerve has died. It can get infected without pain, so see a dentist, not a whitening kit.

Once a dentist has checked it, cover it with click in veneers. Same day at our clinic from £399, or by post from £199.

  • Rated Excellent on Trustpilot
  • Made in our UK lab
  • GDC registered technicians

A darkening tooth needs a dentist first

Get help now if
  • Swelling, a bad taste or throbbing pain may be an abscess: your dentist now, or NHS 24 on 111.
  • Severe swelling of mouth, lips, throat or neck, or trouble breathing or swallowing: 999.
  • Knocked out adult tooth: get to a dentist within the hour.
  • Hold it by the crown, rinse briefly in milk if dirty, push back in or keep in milk.
Right now
  • Book a dentist, even if it does not hurt.
  • Keep brushing and cleaning between teeth as normal.
  • If it aches, paracetamol or ibuprofen as the pack says.
  • Don't bite hard things with it: dead teeth can be brittle.
In the next few days
  • Tell the dentist when it darkened and if it was knocked.
  • Ask what the X ray shows and what your options are.

We are a dental lab, not a dentist. We cannot treat a dead tooth or an infection.

Dead tooth colour: what each shade can mean

Pick the closest colour for a rough guide to what it can mean.

Grey

See a dentist first. This can be a sign of something that needs treating.

Usual causes

Often the nerve has died, commonly after a knock months or years ago.

What can help

See a dentist. They may test the tooth and take an X ray.

What a dentist may do for a dead tooth

A tooth dies when the pulp, its nerves and blood vessels, loses its blood supply: after a hard knock, deep decay or sometimes a large filling. The pulp sits in the middle, under the enamel and dentine. When it dies, it stains the dentine from within, showing grey, brown or black.

Root canal treatment usually keeps the tooth: the NHS says the infected pulp is removed and the canals cleaned and sealed. If it can't be saved, it comes out. The tooth can turn brittle, so a crown may protect it, and that also hides the colour.

Colour from inside a root filled tooth can sometimes be whitened from inside: internal or non vital whitening. The NHS Business Services Authority says it can be done on the NHS when a clinician judges it clinically necessary.

Why shop whitening rarely changes a grey tooth

Whitening gels work on the outside of natural teeth. A dead tooth is stained from inside, deep in the dentine, so outside whitening often does little.

It can even make it look worse: your other teeth lighten and the contrast grows. The NHS says whitening is not done on unhealthy teeth or gums, and it won't change fillings, crowns or veneers.

Click in veneers in Natural WhiteOur click in veneers

Covering a dark tooth with click in veneers

Once a dentist has checked and treated the tooth, click in veneers can cover it for looks. They are thin, removable and clip over your teeth. Nothing is drilled, filed or glued, so your dentist can keep an eye on it.

They even out colour across the smile, which helps when one grey tooth is what people notice. Three shades: Diamond White, Natural White (when in doubt) and Ivory White (popular over 40).

Not suitable with loose teeth, braces or severe gum problems. Most people take them out for meals and to sleep. They usually last 6 to 18 months, depending on the person.

A dark front tooth area, covered

Before: a customer at our clinic with dark, broken and missing teethBefore
After: the same customer later that dayAfter: Click in veneers
Click in veneersPrices and booking are below.

Dark and broken front teeth, covered with click in veneers. Results vary from person to person.

Click in veneers prices

Made in 3 days by post, or about 4 hours at our clinic with your shade picked in person. 18 or over.

A woman clicking in her veneersOur click in veneers
Same day at our clinic
£399one arch, £599 both
  • Ready in about 4 hours at our clinic
  • Impressions taken with our team
  • Klarna Pay in 3 at our clinic
Book a time
By post
£199one arch, £299 both
  • Made in 3 days once we receive your impressions
  • Impression kit sent to your door
  • Made in our UK lab
Order by post

£25 to book a same day visit, taken off your total and refunded if you cancel 24 hours or more before. Klarna Pay in 3 at our clinic: 18 or over, subject to approval. Late fees may apply. Borrowing more than you can afford or paying late may affect your ability to get credit.

Questions people ask

Something else? Send us a message.

Is a grey tooth always dead?

Not always, but one tooth going grey after a knock is a common sign the nerve has died. Only a dentist can tell, usually with tests and an X ray.

Can a dead tooth stay in my mouth?

Often, once a dentist has treated it, usually with root canal treatment. Your dentist will say whether yours can be kept.

Can a dead tooth turn white again?

Not on its own. A dentist may lighten it with internal whitening after root canal treatment, or cover it with a crown.

Can click in veneers go over a dead tooth?

Yes, once a dentist has checked it and it is not loose or infected.

Is root canal treatment available on the NHS?

Yes. In England it is band 2. Scotland charges differently: check the current band on NHS inform, or ask your practice for a written estimate before you start.

Once it is checked, smile again.

Click in veneers, made in our UK lab. Same day at our clinic near Glasgow, or by post to your door.

About this guide

Written by the team at our UK dental lab, where GDC registered technicians make every appliance. We are a dental lab, not a dentist: we make cosmetic and protective appliances and cannot diagnose or treat dental problems. If you are unsure, see a dentist first.

Written by the Venneir lab team. Updated 12 Nov 2026.

Sources