The health of a child's teeth is always important for parents, therefore responsible mothers and fathers regularly examine the little ones' teeth and make sure that the baby carefully cleanses them. If darkened areas are found, as a rule, there is no question of going to the dentist, but the appearance of white spots can cause confusion.
Why can a child have white spots on his teeth, what do they indicate and what should parents do if a white plaque is found on the teeth? First of all, you need to understand that the appearance of whitish spots is not just an aesthetic defect, but can be a symptom of serious diseases.
What does it look like?
On the teeth of a child, both very small white dots and larger white spots resembling chalk may appear. They can be located both on the anterior or lateral surfaces of the teeth, and in the cervical region and at the tops of the crowns. There may be one white spot and only one tooth, but there are also multiple white spots on several teeth.
In some children, the teeth become covered with white stripes (strokes), which gradually increase and become spots. This is how the process of demineralization of tooth enamel, in which the top layer of enamel is destroyed and becomes less durable.
Causes
The main reasons for the appearance of white spots on the teeth of children are:
1. Damage to the enamel by caries. The disease begins precisely 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, there are no other symptoms of the disease at this time. And this poses the greatest danger, since the stage of white spots in children quickly passes into the next, when the enamel is affected deeper and the infection reaches the dentin. In addition, if caries appears only as white spots, it is quite easy to cure it without the need to use a drill and fillings.
2. Development of fluorosis. This is the name of a chronic illness caused by the ingestion of an excess amount of fluoride. Most often, this element comes from water, in which it is contained in excessive amounts (more than 1 mg in one liter). Fluoride is an important element for teeth and if it is not enough, teeth will be destroyed, but excess fluoride is also dangerous for teeth. Excessive concentration of fluoride in water will damage the enamel cells and bind calcium salts in them. In addition, the oversaturation of the body with fluorine is dangerous for the thyroid gland.
With fluorosis, the teeth become fragile, first covered with white stripes, then with white and brown spots, and erosion and areas of abrasion appear on the enamel surface. The disease is often diagnosed in schoolchildren on the front teeth. The disease first affects the upper dentition, and then spreads to the lower jaw. If left untreated, a child may develop serious dental and skeletal problems.
3. Trauma to the enamel. A white spot on a tooth can appear as a result of falling, bruising and any other mechanical effect on the enamel. Sometimes the injury does not appear immediately, but after months or even years. In addition, the enamel surface can become covered with white spots due to prolonged orthodontic treatment. If a child wears braces and braces for a long time, the adjacent teeth on which these devices are attached can be damaged.
4. Hypoplasia of enamel. The disease is caused by metabolic disorders, as a result of which the enamel of the teeth is formed incorrectly and remains fragile and thin. The problem often manifests itself at the age of 1.5-4 years, affecting milk teeth. Problems with gestation (severe toxicosis or an infectious disease in the mother), rickets, acute infection, impaired protein metabolism, chronic illness in a child, hypovitaminosis, disruption of the central nervous system and other factors can lead to underdevelopment of the enamel.
In addition to white smooth spots with hypoplasia, there will be punctate depressions and areas on which enamel is absent on the surface of the teeth. 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 consult a dentist. Such a symptom should not be left without treatment in order to prevent deterioration of the enamel condition, because this can lead to the loss of milk teeth and problems with a permanent bite. In eliminating white spots on the surface of teeth, methods should be used that act on the cause of the appearance of white spots.
- In case of early caries, the doctor will clean the tooth surface and restore the enamel special techniques, for example, fluoridation or treatment with solutions with calcium.
- If the teeth are slightly injured (only the surface layer is damaged), they will be treated with special solutions to saturate the enamel with calcium. For deeper damage, tooth reconstruction is required.
- If white spots appear as a result of wearing braces or braces, you should choose a different model of the device, clean the enamel and process it, and then carry out special measures of dental care for the period of orthodontic therapy.
- With the development of fluorosis, mainly local treatment is used, which is called remineralizing therapy. The teeth are treated with solutions containing phosphorus and calcium. Applications, photo and electrophoresis are used for processing. If the lesion has penetrated deeply, the damaged areas of the tooth are restored using fillings.
- If the reason is the 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 reconstructing the enamel.
Prevention
To prevent the appearance of white spots on the teeth of children, it is recommended:
- Eat well while carrying a baby and if indicated, take vitamin and mineral complexes.
- Do not take tetracycline during pregnancy, since this antibiotic has a damaging effect on tooth enamel.
- Organize correctly diet and diet of the baby in the first years of life.
- Prevent diseases in a child and treat chronic pathologies on time.
- Start caring for baby teeth, as soon as the first tooth erupted.
- When detecting an excess of fluorine in water install a special filter in the house.
- Monitor the fluoride content of toothpaste and buy for children only those pastes that are allowed in childhood.
- To increase the strength of the enamel add foods containing calcium and magnesium to the diet of children.
- Visit the dentist regularly and follow all the instructions of a specialist.
