Dental Fluorosis – Causes, Symptoms, Treatments & Prevention tips
Dental fluorosis is a cosmetic problem that commonly appears in children’s teeth and it occurs with inadequate amount of calcium in enamel. This condition is termed hypocalcification. Such hypocalcified teeth look slightly discolored. Meanwhile, the affected tooth looks abnormal with having faint white lines or brown spots.
This is a harmless condition and does not affect the teeth’ s functionalities. Rare are the cases, the problematic condition intensifies followed by softer enamel, pitting and other difficulties which are quite hard to treat.
Do you know that many kids develop fluorosis even though they brush, rinse and clean their teeth thoroughly? Scroll down to know more.
Table of Contents
What causes dental fluorosis?
Dental fluorosis occurs with too much exposure of fluoride over the teeth when permanent teeth are developing under the gums. Researches show that one cannot develop fluorosis after permanent teeth break through the gums.
Fluoride is a mineral and it is recommended by dentists to strengthen our teeth enamel. The problem arises when you do not consume it prescribed amounts. Such fluoride overconsumption will eventually end in absorbing the calcium present in enamel.
In general, fluoride overexposure happens with the high levels of fluoride in water, toothpaste and mouthwashes.
Dental fluorosis Symptoms
Less than 1% of the people who have fluorosis develop serious aftereffects which show symptoms like:
- Large areas of discoloration
- Rough pits on enamel
- Pock-like marks on enamel
Rest are the cases, which have infections ranging from mild to moderate and show signs like white spots, opaque areas on enamel.
Dental fluorosis Treatments
As mentioned earlier, it is a benign condition and except in some cases, its effects are mild which does not mandate any dental treatments.
However, teeth affected with fluorosis look agony because of the white spots and streaks, dentists recommend certain smile makeover solutions that aim at sealing the discoloration or white looks over enamel.
The treatment options include:
- Procedures to remove stains
- Microabrasion handled with MI Paste to reduce teeth discoloration
- Teeth Whitening or dental bleaching
- Fixing dental crowns
- Dental Veneers
- Cementing hard tooth-colored resins
How can we prevent dental fluorosis?
Parental Vigilance is the primary activity to prevent this problem.
As kids and children do not aware of the components in the things they are taking, parents should categorize the things the kids want. Right?
Likely, you have to take a look at the fluoride composition of teeth cleaning agents like toothpaste. Here are the tips every parent should take into account:
- If you are getting water from a public system, consult your dentists to detect the fluoride concentration in it. If the fluid has an excess amount of fluoride, follow the precautions recommended by your dentist to stay away from fluorosis.
- Likewise, if your kid is aged below 3 years, don’t use toothpaste. Clean the erupting teeth with a wet cloth.
- If your kid aged above 3 years, use a pea-sized toothpaste for toothbrushing. If kids ingest a large amount of fluoride frequently, it will cause issues like vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain as well as fluorosis.
Dental fluorosis is not a serious dental illness to worry about. It recurs with excess usage of fluoride supplements when the teeth are developing under the gums. Taking fluoride supplements at the prescribed amount in childhood is the key to avoid this problem.
