If your child has a lot of discoloration on their teeth and you aren't sure what the problem is, you want to get a dentist to make sure this doesn't affect their adult teeth for a lifetime. There are several things that can cause staining and discoloration, and you may not even know that these factors are doing damage. Once you know what is damaging your child's teeth, there are some other things you'll want to consider asking your dentist about to prevent future staining.
Iron in the Water
If there is a high iron content in the water at your home, this could be causing the stains on your child's teeth. This can cause a brownish discoloration, and you'll want to consider getting a water treatment unit, or having the water purified through a pitcher before drinking it and using it to brush teeth. You may have to get an at home water test, or call the professionals if you want a more thorough test than what you can buy at the home improvement store.
Supplements
Some of the vitamins that you give your child or prescription medications can cause staining. If you think that these may be the culprit, you'll want to bring the medications or supplements that your child takes with you to the next appointment. The dentist will oversee the products and tell you if these products are a problem or not.
Dental Products
Are all of the oral products that your child uses labeled as accepted by the American Dental Association? If you don't see the ADA label of approval, then you want to stop using these products right away. Take them with you to your appointment so your dentist can see the ingredients in the oral healthcare products your child was using when getting stains.
There are other culprits for staining, like eating and drinking foods or beverages that stain, and even bacteria in the mouth. Talk with your dentist (like those at Suncoast Dental Center and similar offices) to see if fluoride treatments and sealing the teeth will help prevent further staining, and if your child could use some whitening products so their teeth don't look so unsightly at a young age. You don't want to ignore any stains that you see on your child's teeth, especially if their adult teeth are coming in. Talk with the dentist right away and get your child in for a cleaning and to be checked out.
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