What would cause a black spot on a child's gums?

My little girl is 7 and I noticed tonight when we were brushing our teeth that she has a black spot a little smaller than the size of a pencil eraser on her gums. What could this be? I'm a little worried about this and I don't know whether to place an emergency call to her dentist tomorrow or not. Any help would be very much appreciated.

What would cause a black spot on a child's gums?
A bump or black spot could be an abscess. An abscess is usually a raised area of tissue adjacent to the root of a tooth. It may come and go. It is a sign that a tooth is infected due to decay. Decay may not be visible as it could be between the teeth. If it is still there in the morning I would call the dentist and have it checked out.


These web sites may be helpful:


http://www.ada.org/public/topics/decay_c...


http://www.lookmom.com/htips.html
Reply:could be tooth decay, I would take her to the dentist for a cleaning, just to make sure.
Reply:A nevus (a birthmark), you may want to make an appointment with the dentist though. It will calm your mind.
Reply:I would set an appointment and not panic at this point.





Does she also have a lot of moles.... and is she fair complected or more olive complected?





I am a red-head and covered with freckles and moles... I have had them on my lips and gums.





My dentist generally refers me to a dermatologist (which I see anyway because I have lots of freckles and moles) and the dermatologist will decide if there is a reason to biopsy or just remove it.





I have had three biopsies for mouth spots and none have been cancer... I have had several spots removed by an oral surgon both on my lips and gums for appearance reasons and there are a few spots that I leave alone in my mouth...





It's good to pay attention to every part of skin including the inside of the mouth, ear cannels, scalp and any place we can see a change in the skin.





If the dentist feels there isn't a reason to see a dermatologist I would see one anyway.... as people prone to have spots on their bodies and inside their mouths should just make it a part of ordinary health anyway....

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