Stained and discolored teeth in children can cause a lot of anxiety for parents. Is that stain actually a cavity? Why are my child’s teeth discolored? Will they always look like this? How can I prevent this from happening in the future? Having discolored teeth can also cause a lot of concern for a child, so understanding the causes and treatments is important to both parents and children.
Causes of staining and discoloration on teeth
First, you have to understand the differences between stains and discoloration on your teeth. The stains are external, on the surface, while the discoloration is within the tooth. External stains can be caused by:
- Tea, soft drinks, dark drinks, colored drinks, stained foods, even dark, healthy foods like strawberry juices.
- Contact with iron can cause external stains (such as metallic salts).
- Iron supplements or anything with a high level of iron.
- Improper brushing (excessive plaque is left behind that builds up).
Discoloration is different. Factors that are known to cause intrinsic discoloration are:
- Metabolic disorders
- Systemic syndromes
- Dentin defects
- Tetracycline stains
- Fluorosis
- Trauma
- Enamel hypoplasia
The causes of stains are simple, but the causes of discolored teeth are more complex. Here we tell you the two most common causes:
- Trauma:can cause tooth discoloration. The cause of this is capillary breakage within the tooth.
- Fluorosis –The resulting tooth discoloration ranges from chalky white to a brownish-black appearance. Fluorosis is caused by excessive intake of fluoride and is very rare.
If you suspect that the discolored tooth is more than trauma or massive amounts of fluoride, you will need to speak with your pediatric dentist to determine the cause and the best treatment to address it.
There are many options for treating stained teeth; it is best to contact your pediatric dentist for a specific treatment recommendation based on the cause.
Future stain prevention
There are some things that parents can do to greatly reduce the chance of our children staining their teeth:
- Limit dark colored drinks like tea, dark soda, etc.
- Limited consumption of highly colored foods, such as chocolates and other colored foods.
- Make sure your child brushes his teeth well every day, twice a day for two minutes.
Treatment of discolored teeth
Typically, most discolored teeth are caused by cavities or certain dental conditions, or even wearing braces and not being able to brush around well. Treating discolored teeth caused by cavities may be solved by removing the cavity and placing a filling. Here are other options for cavities and other causes of tooth discoloration:
- Whitening
- Laminated sheets
- Bad toothpaste
Of course, the treatment depends on the cause of the discolored teeth. The pediatric dentist will create a treatment plan that is right for your child.
Does my child have discolored or stained teeth?
Depending on the cause, there are some telltale signs, but always confirm with your dentist rather than trying to self-diagnose what is happening with your child’s teeth:
- The teeth are gray; this is probably caused by trauma.
- The teeth are blue, purple or red; probably caused by food coloring or dental trauma.
- The teeth are brown; probably caused by a dark drink or dental trauma.
- The teeth have orange stains caused by improper brushing; bacteria accumulate.
- The teeth have white spots, it may be early tooth decay.
Taking your child to the pediatric dentist’s office will allow you to diagnose the possible cause of the stain or discoloration, treat it if indicated, and learn ways to prevent similar problems in the future.
