White spots on the teeth of a child
The health of a child’s teeth is always important for parents, so responsible moms and dads regularly inspect baby teeth and make sure the baby is cleaning them thoroughly. If dark areas are found, as a rule, the question of contacting the dentist is not worth it, but the appearance of white spots can cause confusion.
Why does a child have white spots on the teeth, what do they testify and what should parents do if the crumbs on the teeth have a white plaque? First of all, it is necessary to understand that the appearance of whitish spots is not just an aesthetic defect, but may be a symptom of serious diseases.
What does it look like?
Both small white dots and larger white spots resembling chalk can appear on the child’s teeth. They can be located both on the front or side surfaces of teeth, and in the cervical area and on the tips of crowns. A white spot may be one and be present on only one tooth, but there are also multiple white specks on several teeth.
In some babies, the teeth are covered with white stripes (strokes), which gradually increase and become stained. So manifested the process of demineralization of tooth enamel, in which the upper layer of enamel is destroyed and becomes less durable.
The reasons
The main reasons for the appearance of white spots on the teeth of children are:
1. The defeat of enamel caries. The disease begins with the appearance of whitish spots on the surface of the teeth. This indicates the beginning of the destruction of enamel under the influence of bacteria that cause caries. As a rule, other symptoms of the disease are absent at this time. And this is the most dangerous because the stage of white spots in children quickly goes to the next, when the enamel is affected deeper and the infection reaches the dentin. In addition, if the caries appears only white spots, it is fairly easy to cure without the need to use a drill and fillings.
2. Development of fluorosis. So called chronic disease caused by ingestion of an excess amount of fluoride. Most often this element gets from water, in which it is contained in an excessive amount (more than 1 mg in one liter). Fluoride is an important element for the teeth and if it is lacking, the teeth will break down, but an excess of fluoride is also dangerous for the teeth. Excessive concentration of fluoride in water will affect the enamel cells and bind calcium salts in them. In addition, the glut of fluoride is also dangerous for the thyroid gland.
With fluorosis, the teeth become brittle, are covered first with white stripes, then with white and brown spots, and on the surface of the enamel erosions and abrasion areas appear. The disease is often diagnosed in schoolchildren in the front teeth. The disease first affects the upper dentition, and then moves to the lower jaw. If left untreated, the child may experience serious problems with the teeth and skeleton.
3. Trauma enamel. A white spot on the tooth may appear as a result of a fall, bruise, and any other mechanical effect on the enamel. Sometimes the injury does not manifest itself immediately, but after months and even years. In addition, the enamel surface can become covered with white spots due to long-term orthodontic treatment.If the child wears braces and braces for a long time, the adjacent teeth, which are attached to these devices, may be damaged.
4. Enamel hypoplasia. The disease is caused by impaired metabolic processes, as a result of which the tooth enamel is formed incorrectly and remains fragile and thin. The problem often manifests itself at the age of 1.5-4 years, affecting the baby teeth. Problems with gestation (severe toxicosis or infectious disease in the mother), rickets, acute infection, metabolic disorders of the protein, chronic illness in the child, hypovitaminosis, disruption of the central nervous system and other factors can lead to underdevelopment of enamel.
In addition to white smooth spots with hypoplasia on the surface of the teeth there will be point-like depressions and areas where there is no enamel. In addition, with hypoplasia, the teeth are uneven, and their shape is disturbed.
Treatment
Parents who have identified white spots on the baby’s teeth should definitely contact their dentist. Leaving such a symptom without treatment should not be to prevent the deterioration of the enamel, because it can lead to loss of milk teeth and problems with a constant bite. In eliminating white spots on the surface of the teeth, methods affecting the cause of the appearance of white spots should be used.
- For early caries, the doctor will clean the tooth surface and restore the enamel. special techniques, for example, fluorination or treatment with calcium solutions.
- If the teeth are injured slightly (only the surface layer is damaged), they are treated with special solutions to saturate the enamel with calcium. For deeper lesions, tooth reconstruction is required.
- When white spots appear as a result of wearing braces or staples, another model of fixture should be selected, clean the enamel and process it, then perform special measures for the care of teeth for the period of orthodontic therapy.
- With the development of fluorosis, mainly local treatment is used, which is called remineralizing therapy. Teeth are treated with solutions in which there is phosphorus and calcium. For processing using applications, photo- and electrophoresis. If the lesion has penetrated deeply, the damaged areas of the tooth are restored using fillings.
- If the cause is underdevelopment of the enamel, it will not be easy to help the child, since the process of hypoplasia is irreversible and medicine is not yet capable of curing it. The teeth will be treated symptomatically by doing enamel reconstruction.
Prevention
To prevent the appearance of white spots on the teeth of children, it is recommended:
- Eat well while carrying a child and with indications take vitamin-mineral complexes.
- Do not take tetracycline during pregnancyas this antibiotic differs in the damaging effect on the tooth enamel.
- Properly organize The diet and diet of the baby in the first years of life.
- Prevent disease in a child and time to treat chronic pathology.
- Start caring for baby teeth, as soon as the first tooth erupted.
- If there is an excess of fluoride in the water install a special filter in the house.
- Monitor fluoride in toothpaste and buy for children only pastes that are allowed in childhood.
- To increase the strength of enamel Add to the diet of children products containing calcium and magnesium.
- To be regularly at the visits to the dentist and comply with all the requirements of a specialist.
The opinion of the famous doctor Evgeny Komarovsky on how to properly care for milk teeth and avoid dental diseases, see the video:
