Adults will spend a considerable chunk of their insurance and cash on the whitening of their teeth. Nobody, after all, wants to be stuck with an imperfect smile. However, very few parents will think much about the color of their children’s teeth. They assume that aesthetics are not a key element in their kids’ oral health and that their kids might not be on the pursuit of a perfect smile. As such, tooth discoloration is one issue that remains largely unaddressed in pediatric patients.
Tooth discoloration, which is not addressed by a pediatric dentist in Murray, will unfortunately be the most significant contributor toward poor oral health. This is because the plaque buildup, which often contributes to the discoloration, will make the maintenance of optimal dental hygiene difficult. Some causes of discoloration will also contribute to the breakdown of teeth. Moreover, discoloration causes self-esteem issues that you might not immediately realize. The following are the leading causes of discoloration in children’s teeth:
Tooth Decay
Most parents will hand a toothbrush to their kids and expect them to clean their teeth thoroughly. Without adequate information, however, your child will not do much. Tooth decay will be an unfortunate consequence in this case. There are different levels of tooth decay. Before the formation of a cavity in the child’s teeth, yellowing will be the initial sign of decay. The best way to avert dental decay is to brush and floss your child’s teeth until you are sure he or she can adequately handle the task.
Weak Enamel
Enamel is the outer layer of the teeth. Although this is one of the hardest materials in a child’s body, various elements could lead to the development of weak enamel in your child. Some cases are hereditary, but most are caused by medications used in pregnancy and poor nutrition. Weak enamel will expose your child’s inner teeth layers to stains from food and drinks that cause their discoloration.
Excess Fluoridation
Excessive fluoride in your drinking water or toothpaste might result in brown and white spots on your child’s teeth. In some cases, excess fluoridation in children is caused by parents who get fluoride trays for their children after knowing that they can help strengthen teeth and prevent decay. Although fluoride therapy is used in dental care, it should only be prescribed by a dentist.
Trauma
Kids are at high risk of dental fractures owing to the sports they engage in. The fractures and cracks might seem minor, but they expose the inner layers of the child’s teeth to bacteria and other elements that discolor them. Tooth discoloration resulting from trauma generally has a grayish tint, but red, pinkish, or yellowish tints are also common.
Unfortunately, the issues mentioned above are common ones for children of all ages. Thankfully, there are several treatment alternatives available for discoloration in pediatric dentistry clinics. Before the dentist recommends the whitening solution for your child’s teeth, he or she will first address the cause of the discoloration. It seems cost-efficient to reach for a store-bought or homemade whitening solution, but this will damage your child’s gums and cause extensive and costly future oral health issues.
