When our children begin to change their teeth, the main concern of parents is that they turn out well, correctly aligned and do not present any other problem that makes the use of orthodontics necessary.
Any alteration in the final dentition usually alarms us a lot, including the appearance of stains on the tooth. If these are violet or grayish we should think about a pulp necrosis caused by trauma, but What if they are white? What do these spots mean and how are they corrected?
Why do white spots appear on the tooth?
Dr. Beatriz Iglesias Sánchez, member of the Spanish Society of Orthodontics and dentist and specialist in orthodontics at the Pérez Varela Clinic, explains that the causes of appearance of these spots on the final teeth They can be several and due to:
- Enamel hypoplasia: It is a defect of the enamel produced in the outermost layer of the tooth that causes it to have less enamel than normal. One of the manifestations of this defect is the appearance of white spots or spots on the definitive tooth.
"This alteration in the enamel can be caused by several factors among which would be an excess of fluoride (fluorosis), a blow to the milk tooth that has impacted on the definitive, high fever during the formation of the definitive tooth, nutritional deficiency or the consumption of some medications "- explains Dr. Iglesias.
- The enamel declacification It is another cause that can cause the presence of white spots on the final tooth, and usually occurs when a good tooth brushing is not done.
That is why it is important to teach our children how to properly brush their teeth and when they have acquired the habit and know how to do it alone, supervise them to make sure they are doing it correctly.
"Decalcification consists of a loss of calcium in the tooth that causes the enamel to become softer and is usually the prelude to decay" - emphasizes Dr. Iglesias.The importance of fluoride in its proper measure
Dr. Iglesias tells us about excess fluoride (fluorosis) as one of the causes of the appearance of tooth enamel stains. And it has been shown that although fluoride is effective for the prevention of tooth decay, excessive use during the period of tooth formation (both in toothpastes and rinses) can lead to this problem.
Therefore, the use of fluoride in young children has safety recommendations that we must follow according to their age:
The European Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that between six months and two years, children brush their teeth twice a day with a toothpaste with 500ppm of fluoride and the amount similar to a pea. After two years a paste with 1,000 ppm can already be used. of fluoride
Between four and six years old Calcification and maturation of the posterior teeth occurs, and the risk of stains forming on the enamel is high. Therefore, we must monitor the amounts of fluoride used at this stage, which should be between 1,000 and 1,450 ppm, and an amount of pea-sized paste.
From the age of six, the amount of toothpaste used will be between one and two centimeters and a fluorine concentration of 1,450 ppm.
How can we remove white spots?
Once the spots have appeared, the dentist explains that it is very difficult to eliminate or even reduce them naturally, something that could be achieved with aesthetic dental treatments.
In any case, the best solution always comes to prevent to the extent that we can appear, following these tips:
Take care of the feeding of our children so that it is balanced. In this way we will not only be taking care of your overall health, but also dental health. Experts say that calcium-rich foods and those that are rich in minerals They are very beneficial for teeth.
Supervise or help them with their daily dental hygiene.
Take special care of the oral hygiene of the child with brackets, since the plaque buildup on teeth It can seriously damage the enamel causing white spots and decay.
Use toothpastes and mouthwashes appropriate to the child's age and with the indicated fluoride concentration to prevent the appearance of tooth decay.
Go to the pediatric dentist regularly to check the health of the teeth and detect any problems that may arise in time.
If still, at some point you detect one or several white spots on the enamel of your child's tooth, the most recommended is go to the dentist to make an assessment and tell us how to proceed in this regard:
"Normally it is very difficult to get this type of spots to reduce and disappear naturally. It is advisable to intensify hygiene to avoid that, if white spots are the result of poor hygiene, they do not increase" - advises Dr. Iglesias.
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In Babies and More Five tips for caring for children's teeth with braces, Frequently Asked Questions about children and orthodontics (or what happens when the teeth get messy), Pulp necrosis, trauma and tooth breakage due to a stroke, how should we act ?, Almost half of children do not brush their teeth well
