Dental Fluorosis in children

 

Dental fluorosis is defined as a problem with the development of  enamel structure from excessive exposure to high fluoride concentrations.   Excessive fluoride intake during  childhood can affect tooth development, causing dental fluorosis. The severity ranges from mild white opacity to more severe browning or pitting of the enamel. The purpose of this article is to provide readers with a better understanding of the causes, diagnosis, and  treatment of dental fluorosis in children. 

 Causes of Fluorosis 

The main cause of fluorosis is the over use of fluoridated dental products  such as toothpaste and mouthwash. Sometimes children like toothpastes that have too much fluoride and swallow them instead of spitting them out. 

 Fluoride content in drinking water 

Fluoride is formed in water. Natural fluoride  in drinking water above these recommendations increases the risk of severe fluorosis. The CDC recommends that parents in communities with water levels above 2 ppm provide their children with water from other sources. 

 
Fluorosis Symptoms 
 
  Symptoms of fluorosis include small white spots or lines that are hard to remove, dark brown spots and rough, pitted tooth enamel. Teeth that are not affected by fluorosis are smooth and shiny. They should also be a light creamy white color. Call your dentist if you notice white streaks or spots on your child's teeth, or if one or more teeth become discolored. 

  Fluorosis can be categorized by their severity which are-:

Questionable -: The tooth enamel shows very little change, from a few white spots to rarely white. 

Very Mild -: a small, opaque, papery white area covering less than 25% of the teeth. 

Mild-: Numerous white opaque areas on the surface but still affecting less than 50% of the surface.

Moderate-: White opaque areas affecting more than 50% of the enamel surface. 

Severe-: All enamel surfaces are affected. The teeth also have cavities that may separate or fuse together. 

Treatment of fluorosis 

 In most cases, fluorosis is very mild and does not require treatment. Or it may only affect the molars that are not visible.   The appearance of teeth affected by moderate to severe fluorosis can be  improved using a variety of methods, most of which are designed to camouflage stains.

This process will include:

1. Teeth whitening and other methods to remove surface stains. Please note that teeth whitening can  worsen the symptoms of fluorosis.

2. Adhesive  material is applied to teeth that bonds to the tooth enamel.

3.Crowns 

4. Veneers, which are materials used to make the shells that cover the front of  teeth to improve their appearance.

5. MI paste is a calcium phosphate product that is sometimes combined with agents such as microabrasives to reduce tooth decay. 

Preventing fluorosis 

It is important for parents to be vigilant to prevent fluorosis. If you get your water from a public system, your doctor, dentist, local water authority, or  health department can tell you how much fluoride is in your water. If you rely on tap or bottled water, your local health department or local laboratory can test for fluoride. Once you know how much fluoride your child is getting from drinking water and other sources, such as  juice and soda, you can work with your dentist to reduce that amount. Find out if your child needs fluoride.