The severity of dental fluorosis varies and while many people won’t have their appearance
dramatically affected, others will. What exactly is dental fluorosis and what can you do about it?

Why Fluorosis Happens

Fluorosis happens when a person is exposed to too much fluoride as a child while the teeth are still developing. This fluoride could be from any source, whether it be drinking water or toothpaste with fluoride. Fluorosis usually presents as white spots on the teeth.

Once the teeth have erupted through the gum tissue, it’s no longer possible to get dental
fluorosis [1]. The change is exclusive to teeth that are still developing beneath the gumline, so usually the risk for fluorosis decreases once the permanent teeth begin to come in.

Available Treatments for Fluorosis

Once fluorosis happens, there’s no way to stop its effect on teeth. However, there are several available treatments for fluorosis that can help minimize or eliminate its appearance on your smile.

These treatments include a professional teeth whitening, microabrasion, and dental veneers[2]. For people who have mild fluorosis, teeth whitening can help reduce its appearance and may be the only treatment you need.

Microabrasion is a procedure your experienced dentist can perform that can help people who have more obvious fluorosis or white spots that won’t respond to a professional whitening.

During microabrasion, a small amount of tooth enamel is removed to restore the appearance of the teeth. Most dentists will use a fluoride treatment afterward to ensure tooth sensitivity is kept to a minimum following the procedure.

If the appearance of your dental fluorosis is severe or doesn’t respond to teeth whitening, you may opt for dental veneers. Dental veneers can cover the teeth affected by fluorosis and give you a new, brighter smile that permanently masks your fluorosis and looks natural.

Preventing Fluorosis

You can help prevent fluorosis in children, but once the permanent teeth are in, you’ll need to rely on professional dental treatment to improve the appearance of fluorosis.

To prevent this condition, ensuring your child gets the right amount of fluoride is best. You can talk to your dentist about your child’s fluoride exposure to determine if it’s appropriate for their age and health. Remember, the American Dental Association doesn’t recommend using fluoride toothpaste for children until they reach the age of two [3].

Your dentist can talk more with you about what’s best for your child to help prevent fluorosis from occurring.

Do You Have Fluorosis?

Do you have white spots on your teeth that have a somewhat chalky appearance? You don’t have to live with these spots and can receive dental treatment to help minimize their appearance on your smile. Schedule a consultation with your dentist today to discuss treatment for your dental fluorosis!

Sources:
1. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/f/fluorosis
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2883808/
3. https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(14)60226-9/fulltext?dgcid=PromoSpots_EBDsite_fluoride-toothpaste-young-children

The post What Are Those White Spots On Your Teeth? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

The appearance of dental fluorosis can vary from person to person. Some people may have white lines in their enamel that look subtly different from the rest of their teeth. Other may have white flecks or spots in their enamel. However, dental fluorosis could also be present as brown stains on the teeth. Your enamel may even be grooved and make these dark areas difficult to clean. The good news is that although dental fluorosis isn’t harmful, it can still be treated if you’re self-conscious of your white marks.

Causes of Dental Fluorosis

Dental fluorosis is caused by a lack of minerals in your tooth’s enamel. This usually comes from the excessive consumption of fluoride. Fluoride is naturally present in water, but some cities add additional fluoride to their drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. Although fluoride is generally considered a good thing by oral health care professionals, too much fluoride is just as bad as not enough. Between multiple sources of fluoride such as those from drinking water, toothpaste, and mouth rinses, children may be exposed to excessive amounts of fluoride that could lead to dental fluorosis.

How to Prevent It

The interesting thing about dental fluorosis is that it only happens during the formation of teeth in the jaw. This means the only time dental fluorosis can happen is during childhood after the primary teeth fall out and before the permanent teeth come in. In fact, it’s impossible for dental fluorosis to develop after the adult teeth have come in. Talk to your dentist about how much fluoride your kids actually need and what fluoride sources they’re exposed to. Your dentist can advise you if you should cut back on the fluoride. Ensure your kids don’t swallow their fluoride dental products. Some kids swallow because they taste good, but this can increase their fluoride intake and be dangerous!

Treatment Options

Fortunately, dental fluorosis isn’t a disease, just a cosmetic problem. Sometimes the uneven whitening is only noticeable by your dentist. For others, the white areas are more severe. For most people who have dental fluorosis, the whitening isn’t severe enough to warrant treatment as the appearance will be subtle.

Although fluorosis won’t cause other dental health problems, the stains will be permanent. Treatment can help mask the stains and improve the appearance of your smile. Your dentist might suggest professional teeth whitening to even out the white areas, crowns, or veneers to help alleviate the appearance of your dental fluorosis.

Having dental fluorosis can be a nuisance to your physical appearance, but there aren’t any lasting effects of this condition on your oral health. Talk to you dentist if you’re concerned about the look of your dental fluorosis, or if you want to know more about the appropriate amount of fluoride for your children’s teeth!

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