Tooth Discoloration

Normal baby or primary teeth are off-white or ivory, and they look brighter and shinier than adult teeth. Yellow, brown or otherwise discolored baby teeth are usually a result of inadequate brushing and tooth decay. Occasionally, liquid medications containing iron discolor the teeth. Sometimes, however, tooth discoloration is a result of an underlying illness or exposure to substances that harm the teeth before or after birth. Fortunately, normal permanent teeth often grow in to replace discolored baby teeth. Even if discoloration persists in permanent teeth, it need not be a serious cosmetic problem, thanks to advances in dental care.

WHEN SHOULD I SUSPECT THAT MY CHILD HAS DISCOLORED TEETH?
If your child's teeth look yellow, splotchy or brown despite careful brushing (which requires parental supervision until about age seven), some kind of dental problem is present.

HOW DOES TOOTH DISCOLORATION DEVELOP?
Tooth enamel forms gradually over several years, during which foreign substances can be incorporated and alter the eventual color of the tooth. Baby teeth can be discolored from about the fourth month in the uterus until the tenth month after birth. Permanent teeth can be affected from age four months to 16 years.

Illness, malnutrition and other types of physical stress can cause white splotches and bands on the teeth. All children have one such band, known as the neonatal line, which results from the stress of birth.

In rare cases, certain childhood infections make a single tooth yellow or brown because the enamel did not grow properly. An injury that causes bleeding in the pulp of a tooth can turn the enamel pink or gray. Also, children who suffered severe neonatal jaundice may have yellow or greenish teeth.

Excessive fluoride can give teeth whitish to dark brown splotches. The antibiotic tetracycline also can be responsible for tooth discoloration in children, causing a brownish-yellow stain that is usually not transferred to the permanent teeth. An infant may have stained teeth if the mother took tetracycline during pregnancy.

IS MEDICAL ATTENTION NECESSARY?
Yes, but unless your child has a discolored tooth as a result of a very recent injury, the problem is not urgent. Bring it up with your pediatrician during the next well-child visit.

WHAT TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE?
In many cases, no treatment is necessary apart from waiting for the permanent teeth to come in. A relatively new process known as dental bonding can make discolored permanent teeth appear white and protect against tooth decay.

PREVENTING TOOTH DISCOLORATION

• Do not take tetracycline during pregnancy or give it to a child under eight years of age.

• Find out the fluoride level in your local water supply. If the water is not fluoridated, ask your pediatrician or dentist about giving your child fluoride supplements. If it is naturally very high in fluoride, consider drinking bottled water and taking fluoride supplements to avoid mottling.

• Clean your baby's teeth with a wet wash cloth for the first year of life, then begin brushing regularly, at least twice a day. Most children continue to need some help with brushing until they are about seven years old.

Excerpt from THE DISNEY ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BABY & CHILD CARE, © 1995 DSH Communications, Inc. This material is based on current medical research and, to the best of the editors' knowledge and understanding, is accurate and valid. However the reader should not use information contained in this material to alter a medically prescribed regimen or as a form of self-treatment, without seeking the advice of a licensed physician.