- White spots on teeth - causes. Fluorosis
- White spots on teeth - causes. Calcium deficiency
- White spots on teeth - causes. Enamel hypoplasia
- White spots on teeth - how to get rid of them? How to remove white stains on teeth?
White spots on teeth can have different causes. It all depends on who the white spots appear on the teeth - in children or adults? On deciduous or permanent teeth? Or maybe white spots on the teeth appeared during whitening? Check what are the causes of white spots on the teeth and how to get rid of them?
White spots on teethmay have various causes. The causes of white spots on teeth in children will be different, and slightly different in adults. Some of them are harmless, others require a visit to the dentist as soon as possible because they can even lead to tooth loss.
The teeth seemingly have a simple structure, they look like bone without tissue - a hard, compact, homogeneous mass. Nothing could be more wrong. Teeth are not only an interesting structure, but also not lifeless. Inside is a pulp that is richly vascularized and innervated. It nourishes the tooth and supplies it with the necessary nutrients. It is also responsible for the pain sensations, which is why it is covered with enamel - the hardest tissue in the human body. The enamel consists of 95 percent. from inorganic compounds - calcium and phosphorus crystals, plus small amounts of sodium, magnesium and potassium. The rest are organic compounds and water. When the balance of these components is disturbed, white discoloration may appear.
White spots on teeth - causes. Fluorosis
White spots on the teeth or white streaks on the teeth can have several causes. One of them is shortages and another is an oversupply of certain elements. Ifwhite spots on teethappearedin childand has had them for a long time, then it is most likely a fluorosis.
- Fluoride, necessary for the proper mineralization of teeth, is present in water and air. Its greater amounts are found even in the tea we drink every day, so when we used fluoride toothpaste in large amounts as children, characteristic chalky-white discoloration could appear on the teeth. It is a developmental disorder, which means it occurs in time before the permanent teeth erupt, explains the drug. stom. Monika Stachowicz from the Periodent Treatment and Prevention Center in Warsaw.
Fluorosis is not associated with the weakening of the enamel, the spots are only an aesthetic drawback. Discoloration can be of various shades - from pearly, chalky towhite with reduced translucency, up to brown.
White spots on teeth - causes. Calcium deficiency
Other causes of white spots on the teeth are deficiencies of an element that is equally important to the he alth of enamel, namely calcium. If we notice white discoloration on our teeth, which was not there before, suddenly appeared, we may suspect enamel decalcification.
- While fluorosis is not a hazard to dental he alth, be careful when decalcifying your teeth. It is a pre-caries condition and the lack of intervention may lead to the development of full-blown caries and, as a result, drilling, filling, and even prosthetic treatment. Enamel demineralization is common in braces wearers because it makes it difficult to brush the teeth thoroughly due to the presence of brackets and ligatures. That is why acids produced by bacteria can damage the enamel - explains the dentist.
During routine checkups during orthodontic treatment, the dentist will surely notice the abnormal shade of the enamel and recommend an appropriate procedure.
White spots on teeth - causes. Enamel hypoplasia
Another cause of tooth discoloration of a similar nature, i.e. milky-white, yellowish or even brown, is enamel hypoplasia. Hypoplasia is otherwise underdevelopment. It happens when the body does not receive enough nutrients due to dietary errors or diseases of the digestive system, e.g. vitamins A, D, K and C and minerals: calcium, fluorine or magnesium. These deficiencies can also be the result of high fever diseases, childhood infectious diseases, and side effects of certain medications. Enamel underdevelopment is also a signal for celiac disease testing.
- Enamel hypoplasia is a condition that requires dental treatment. Unprotected teeth are prone to many ailments - they are easily eroded, hypersensitive, caries, they are more fragile and we can even lose them. The risk of underdevelopment of enamel is especially high in the first years of a child's life, when permanent teeth are forming. Only then they become resistant, they are less mineralized, and therefore more exposed to harmful factors - explains Dr. Stachowicz.
White spots on teeth - how to get rid of them? How to remove white stains on teeth?
Spots due to fluorosis are permanent. You can try to even out the color of your teeth using microabrasion, i.e. wiping off the microscopic enamel layer with special dental pastes and polishing tools. In addition, the reduction of the visibility of spots can be achieved by performing treatmentsteeth whitening with a laser or home-use aligners. However, when the effect is not satisfactory and the teeth affected by fluorosis are in the aesthetic zone (from one to four), ceramic veneers can be used.
Loss of calcium in enamel can be caused by both caries processes, a diet rich in acids, and even acid reflux. It is important to identify the cause and change your habits. At the beginning, it is recommended to use toothpastes for home fluoridation or fluoridation in the office. Large cavities can be drilled and rebuilt using a dental composite. There is one more solution that will help in the fight against unsightly streaks - resin infiltration. The treatment is painless and non-invasive. Topically, a special resin preparation is applied to the enamel surface, which penetrates the enamel and dentin, permanently protecting them against further erosion.
In the case of bone marrow hypoplasia, regular hygiene with fluoride toothpaste, soft bristle toothbrush, dental floss and rinse is a daily minimum. In the dentist's office, it is possible to seal the fissures and fluoridate them, which will protect the teeth. It is also important to observe the toddler's bite development. When he has a malocclusion and his age allows it, orthodontic treatment is necessary. Uneven and crowded teeth are more difficult to clean, and hence a straightforward path to the development of caries.