Table of contents:
- The cause of stains on children's teeth that are difficult to lose
- 1. Lazy or not clean when brushing your teeth
- 2. Drug side effects
- 3. Injury or a fall
- 4. Excessive fluoride intake
- 5. Certain diseases
- How to prevent and overcome it?
Healthy tooth color is not pearl white. Even so, the presence of stains on a child's teeth also does not mean it is natural. Most cases of stained teeth in children are harmless, but they shouldn't be left unchecked. Find out what is the cause and how to solve it in this article.
The cause of stains on children's teeth that are difficult to lose
1. Lazy or not clean when brushing your teeth
Most young children are not used to brushing their teeth diligently, let alone doing it right. Some children can even be lazy to brush their teeth.
In fact, laziness or how to brush your teeth that are not clean can make your teeth stained and gradually change color. This occurs due to leftover plaque that continues to accumulate on the surface of the teeth.
If left untreated, the buildup of dental plaque can cause gum inflammation or gingivitis.
2. Drug side effects
Many medicines for children contain iron. Medicines containing iron can cause discoloration of their teeth.
In addition, some antibiotics are known to cause tooth discoloration. Stains on the child's teeth may also appear even though he has never taken antibiotics, but his mother used to take tetracycline antibiotics during pregnancy which can stain the child's teeth from birth.
3. Injury or a fall
If your child has had a fall and has had an injury to the face, especially the teeth and mouth, they could stain their teeth as blood from the wound enters a small tube inside the tooth's lining called dentin.
This discoloration can take up to 2-3 weeks after the injury occurs. The color of your child's teeth will return to normal over time. In some cases, however, the discoloration can be permanent.
4. Excessive fluoride intake
Formula milk contains fluoride. If your child is overfeeding the bottle, high levels of fluoride intake are at risk of causing a tooth stain called fluorosis which appears as fine lines on the surface of their teeth.
5. Certain diseases
Stains on children's teeth can also be caused by certain diseases, such as hyperbilirubinemia. Hyperbilirubinemia is a condition in the body that has the most bilirubin in the blood. One of the symptoms is yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. Your child's teeth may also turn yellow-green in color if they are born with this condition.
How to prevent and overcome it?
If the appearance of stains on the child's teeth is caused by poor dental hygiene, teach the child how to brush their teeth properly and instill the importance of maintaining healthy teeth and mouth from a young age. You can use fluoride toothpaste that's smaller than a grain of rice.
If it is caused by bottle feeding, do not let the child suck on the teat in his mouth until he overslept.
Take the child to the doctor if the stain on the child's teeth doesn't go away. The doctor may recommend a pediatric dentist who can find out the exact cause or perform tartar cleaning scrubbing special children's teeth.