If the tooth darkened, what should I do? This is a common question. Let's look into it in more detail.
Milk teeth are so called due to the special white shade of tooth enamel. But sometimes parents notice that their children's teeth lose their original color, and at the same time turn black. In our article, we will talk about what causes the tooth to darken in children and adults, and also find out why blackness on the teeth is dangerous and what needs to be done in such situations, and, moreover, why blackness of the incisors should not be left without therapy. Let's start by looking at the causes of browning.
Causes of teeth discoloration
There are quite a lot of negative factors that can lead to the fact that a tooth has darkened. Some of them are reversible with proper therapy. But most of them change the tooth structure so much that it becomes impossible to return to its original appearance. ExceptMoreover, blackness on the teeth is a sign of serious pathologies that can lead to serious consequences and complications.
The most common reason why a tooth has darkened is poor oral hygiene. In the event that the child does not systematically brush his teeth or performs this procedure poorly, then plaque accumulates on the enamel surface from food debris. At first it has a light shade, but later it thickens, the coloring substances of the products begin to be absorbed into it. This is how people's teeth gradually turn black.
Eating foods and drinks containing dark pigments is also a cause of tooth discoloration in adults and children. In this variant, the incisors turn black immediately after eating. In this case, the shade may depend on the intensity of the coloring component and on the presence of plaque on the enamel surface.
Caries
Children's teeth are more prone to caries than adults. This is due to the low density of dental tissue, and, in addition, with some features of the immune system and poor cleaning performance. As a result, carious lesions can spread to all teeth in a very short time. In this case, a dark spot will first be visible on the enamel surface, which will quickly turn black and increase in size. Sometimes it happens that the carious cavity can spread deep into the tooth without an external defect. Then the incisors become black not from the outside, but from the inside.
Why can a child's tooth darken?
Main causes of tooth discoloration in childhood
In childhood, various injuries are common. It happens that a tooth has darkened after a blow in a child. So it is easy to damage the vascular bundles that are located inside the pulp. In the event that a hematoma occurs, the tooth begins to acquire an unnatural dark shade due to the ingress of hemoglobin and other pigments into the dental tissue.
In young children, the use of certain medications (for example, antibacterial from the tetracycline category) can provoke the accumulation of a medicinal substance in enamel tissues. This leads to the fact that even the very first tooth in a child climbs black.
Another reason why a child's tooth can darken?
Fluorosis is a pathology that occurs due to excessive use of fluoride. It is usually associated with a high concentration of this element in the water, or with excessive use of medicines with such a component or improperly selected cleaning paste. With this disease, black dots form on children's teeth that can merge into extensive dark spots with each other. In parallel, there are symptoms of damage to the bone and muscle system.
Treatment of caries in a child as a cause of darkening of teeth
In children who are older than two years, silvering is a popular method of caries prevention. This procedure involves treating the surface of the enamel with a solution that contains silver ions. This drug interacts with the top layer of enamel, forming a blackplaque, which darkens the teeth and makes them look sloppy.
What to do if the front teeth are dark?
Brown treatment
Unfortunately, it is far from always possible to return the natural milky shade to children's dark teeth. In the event that the darkening of the enamel is caused by the accumulation of plaque due to improper cleaning techniques, then a visit to the dentist's office is quite able to solve this problem. The doctor will perform an examination, and, in addition, will make a professional cleaning from a dense deposit on the teeth.
Blackening of enamel from food dyes is eliminated even at home. This requires brushing your teeth thoroughly several times and rinsing your mouth thoroughly. After the first cleaning, the color of the enamel will definitely become much lighter. In the event that black staining occurs, then only professional cleaning in the doctor's office will be effective in this situation.
Caries blackening therapy
So, the child's milk teeth have darkened.
In the presence of caries, the main task of treatment is to preserve the teeth, especially if the milk teeth have not yet changed, and the baby has not reached the age of six. In this disease, the black color is due to the accumulation of necrotic mass, colonies of bacteria and food debris, which are especially susceptible to staining with food pigment. After the doctor removes all the dead dental tissue and seals the cavity, the blackness will definitely go away, and the teeth will become bright again. In exceptional cases where there is nothe ability to cure caries, carry out the removal of the affected tooth.
Treatment for discoloration in traumatic teeth
In the event that the cause of blackening is an injury that leads to rupture of the vessels of the pulp and the formation of a hematoma, then the doctor during therapy will evaluate the possibility of treatment based on the signs of pulpitis. If there are no signs of inflammation, then specific treatment is not required. But, unfortunately, it will no longer be possible to return the natural whiteness.
Other treatments for tooth discoloration
Currently, it is extremely rare for children to have problems with their teeth, which are caused by improper medication. If a similar problem occurs with milk incisors, then it will not be possible to solve it before their natural change. In this case, oral hygiene will be important so that milk teeth do not darken even more.
Changing the color of enamel with fluorosis is not always possible. The main thing in the treatment of such a pathology is to stop its further progression by reducing the amount of fluoride consumed. It is impossible to get rid of plaque after the silvering procedure. Therefore, this procedure is not recommended for children of school age, as it creates a cosmetic defect that can cause an extremely negative reaction from peers.
Prevention of tooth discoloration
Preventing blackening of teeth in children is not at all difficult. Parents need to remember a few of the following rules:
- It is necessary to control the quality of how children brush their teeth. It is required to start accustoming a child to this procedure after the eruption of the first teeth. The correct formation of such a useful habit from early childhood will certainly help to maintain the whiteness of the teeth and their he alth in general.
- A complete nutritious diet plays an important role in the prevention of blackening. The presence in the diet of the optimal amount of nutrients, and, in addition, vitamins and minerals, several times reduces the risk of developing dental pathologies. So that milk teeth do not turn black, parents need to limit the child, especially in sweets, carbonated drinks and white pastries as well. At the same time, raw fruits with vegetables and dairy products should be included in the diet every day.
- The correct selection of hygiene products is also very important. A baby who is one year old will not be suitable for toothpaste intended for schoolchildren. You need to change your toothbrush regularly, choosing it according to age.
- In places where the fluorine content in drinking water exceeds the standard values, it is required to carefully monitor the quality of the liquid used. This is especially true for babies in the first year of life, when bones and teeth are actively formed.
- Regular visits to the dentist for check-ups and professional cleanings help prevent tooth blackening in a timely manner.
If it is necessary to treat shallow caries or as part of its preventionAn alternative to silvering is the deep fluoridation procedure. This manipulation avoids the formation of an unattractive black coating and at the same time demonstrates higher efficiency.
