Parents look forward to the appearance of each new tooth of their crumbs. The snow-white smile of the little one makes mom and dad happier. Relatives react differently to the appearance of plaque on the teeth of a child. Some parents are afraid for the he alth of the baby. Others are calm, as they are sure that the problem will disappear along with milk teeth. Unfortunately, ignoring this situation may affect the he alth of the oral cavity in the future.
Why plaque forms
Plaque is the deposition on tooth enamel of components of saliva, food debris, various microorganisms and their metabolic products. At first, all of the listed components accumulate in those places that are not easy to reach with a brush. Most often this occurs in the cervical region or fissures.
Deposits are formed in three stages:
- Pellicle formation. This is an ultra-thin cell-free film, consisting of proteins that make up saliva.
- Attachment of opportunistic agents. Pellicles linger on the membrane and remainstreptococci and other microorganisms. Their reproduction and waste products cause plaque to thicken.
- The composition of accumulations changes to anaerobic. Plaque is not washed off with saliva and cannot be removed even by rinsing. Gradually, this leads to demineralization of the enamel.
In a normal state, a thin plaque on the teeth of a child or adult forms during the day. Complete oral care can eliminate it.
In the event that hygiene is carried out incorrectly, and some predisposing factors appear, the pellicle and bacteria on it are not removed. There is a consolidation and thickening of the plaque. In the future, the color of the teeth also changes.
Predisposing factors include:
- Features of nutrition. Eating mostly soft foods. As well as an abundance of sweets.
- Mechanical processing of food. The habit of chewing food on only one side leads to plaque on the opposite side.
- Lack or lack of hygiene.
- Changing the pH level in the mouth.
How quickly plaque will form depends largely on the viscosity of saliva, as well as on the rate of desquamation of the epithelium and the presence of inflammatory processes in the oral cavity. Hardening of plaque ends with the formation of tartar.
White patina
White plaque on the teeth of a child appears most often. It belongs to the category of soft, does not pose a danger to enamel. Its formation is gradual. Usuallyit is completely removed with minimal mechanical action.
White bloom can appear at any age. But it is more common in babies of the first year of life. Such a plaque is nothing more than the remains of breast milk or formula. Food particles mix with epithelial cells and bacteria. All this forms a sticky film that covers the baby's teeth.
If a child has white plaque on his teeth, it must be removed by yourself. Otherwise, it will begin to harden, and it will be impossible to do without the help of a dentist.
You can remove plaque with a piece of gauze moistened with warm water. Then it is recommended to purchase a special silicone brush that mom or dad can put on their finger and brush their teeth. From six months, you can use special baby pastes that can be swallowed. For one procedure, no more than half a pea of the product will be required.
Yellow bloom
Yellow plaque on the teeth of a child provokes the development of caries much faster than in an adult. Enamel in babies is much thinner. Therefore, the yellow shade of the child's teeth should be a signal for parents to take action.
Light yellow spots in children under one year old may appear due to plaque, trauma or caries. And also because of the problems of intrauterine development. Tooth germs can be affected even during pregnancy, at the stage of their formation.
Humidity plays an important role in the room where the child is most often. Dry air can cause dehydration and drynessoral cavity. Yellow plaque on the teeth of a child will form sooner if the saliva is too viscous. It is unable to qualitatively clean the enamel, but, on the contrary, contributes to its demineralization.
You can get rid of yellow spots that have not had time to cause damage yourself. To do this, you need to establish nutrition and regularly care for your teeth. Include more solid vegetables and fruits in the baby’s menu, wean you from falling asleep with a bottle of sweet tea. Rinse mouth with clean water after each meal.
In the event that the listed measures did not help, you will need to consult a dentist. The doctor will perform a fluoridation or silvering procedure. But parents will also have to make an effort to establish a routine and teach the baby how to properly care for their teeth.
Staining light gray enamel
Grey plaque on a child's teeth can quickly destroy the enamel. It forms roughness and provokes the appearance of an unpleasant odor. Caries in babies begins to progress rapidly.
Grey plaque in adults usually does not carry such a danger. Firstly, because the enamel is much stronger. And secondly, gray plaque is most often formed in adults due to smoking and drinking coloring drinks, such as coffee, tea and red wine. That is, the enamel is not damaged, but painted.
The appearance of gray plaque in a child can provoke hypoplasia. It is impossible to get rid of this pathology, which is associated with a violation of mineralization, on your own. Onlya qualified dentist is able to choose an adequate treatment. Unfortunately, whitening will not help here. It can only make the situation worse. The dentist will recommend enamel remineralization procedures.
Green, orange and red patina
It is not uncommon to notice green plaque on a child's teeth. The reasons for its formation are chromogenic fungi. It is these microorganisms that produce chlorophyll. This type of plaque most often affects babies under the age of three.
In the event that the natural protection of the tooth is broken, fungi settle on the surface of the enamel. They begin to produce a coloring pigment that is deeply eaten into the tissues. Chromogenic fungi can also give teeth an orange tint. But if the enamel turns red, this is a signal that the baby may be sick with porphyria.
It is impossible to clean the green plaque on the teeth of a child on your own. Treatment can only be carried out by a dentist together with a pediatrician. Before seeking help from a doctor, you need to make sure that the baby did not eat food with dyes. Rinsing with potassium permanganate, "Etacridine" and taking certain medications can provoke the appearance of a green, red or orange plaque.
Brown patina
Brown plaque on the teeth of a child under two years of age is a harbinger of bottle caries. Most often, they suffer from babies who are allowed to drink sweet tea or juice at night instead of water. And also those babies who are bottle-fed for a long time.
The enamel of one-year-old babies is too delicate. Sweet food is an excellent environment for the development of various bacteria. Tooth decay happens very quickly.
Caries is far from the only factor that provokes the appearance of brown plaque on the teeth of a child. The reasons may be as follows:
- Taking iron supplements. Babies with anemia are often prescribed such medications. Their use in most cases leads to the appearance of a brown plaque. It is impossible to remove it mechanically. It will disappear on its own some time after the end of the drug.
- Eating food with dyes. Beets, blueberries, carrots, and many other pigmented foods can lead to the formation of dark plaque on a child's teeth. All that is required to remove it is a simple hygienic cleaning.
You should only seek help from a dentist if the cause of brown spots is caries. Many parents are in no hurry to take their baby to the doctor because they do not want to cause stress to their child. They are confident that replacing a damaged milk tooth with a permanent one will solve all problems.
Unfortunately, this opinion is wrong. Deep caries of milk teeth can infect already growing permanent ones. Therefore, for the sake of he alth and a beautiful smile in the future, at the first alarming symptoms, it is necessary to seek help from a doctor. The dentist will carry out the necessary treatment. After that, she will definitely cover her teeth with a protective solution with fluoride.
Black spots on enamel
Black plaque on a child's teeth is not related to hygiene issues. The deposits look like soot. Most often they are located on the inner surface of the tooth, but they can also affect the outer.
The formation of plaque in all children occurs in different ways. For someone, it all starts with the appearance of a small speck, which slowly increases over several months. There are children whose enamel blackening occurs literally overnight. The age of the child does not matter, but most often the pathology affects babies at the age of two.
Child's he alth is threatened not by plaque, but by the reason for which it appears. The provoking factor is not dental problems, but pathologies of some body systems. It is often caused by fungal diseases.
At the dentist's appointment, parents are often interested in how to remove plaque from their child's teeth. Unfortunately, this cannot be done mechanically. It is necessary to identify the cause of the appearance of the pathology and cure it. After that, the plaque will gradually come off on its own.
Intestinal dysbacteriosis is also capable of provoking enamel staining. The pathology is called the Priestley plaque. Scientists still cannot determine why it occurs in some children and not in others. It is possible that prolonged use of antibiotics has an effect, as well as constipation and difficulties with the normal outflow of bile that often accompany this.
Priestley's plaque does not pose any threat to the he alth of tooth enamel. This is purely a cosmetic defect. Treatment atdentist or at home, it is not subject. Some dentists try to remove it with hygienic brushing. However, even if it is possible to completely get rid of the plaque, it will definitely return over time, if the cause of its appearance is not eliminated. There is a high probability that after the normalization of the digestive tract, the teeth will clean themselves.
Traditional medicine
The doctor can tell you the exact reason why a child has plaque on his teeth. Regardless of the age of the baby, if a problem occurs, it is recommended to consult a dentist. At home, you can quickly get rid of white and yellow plaque. In all other cases, only a dentist can help, and sometimes a pediatrician.
White plaque is easily removed with a toothbrush. Yellow can be difficult, so additional measures will be required. You can carefully whiten children's teeth using the following folk recipes:
- Crush a few tablets of calcium glycerophosphate into powder and add two drops of lemon juice. Put the resulting mixture on a small piece of gauze folded in several layers. Carefully treat problem areas of enamel. Often you can not resort to this remedy.
- Crush two tablets of activated charcoal and add a pinch of soda to it. The resulting powder can be mixed with toothpaste or used on its own. You can apply this method no more than twice a week.
- Fruit acids can have a whitening effect. To do this, you can chop the strawberries with a fork and for a few minutesapply the resulting slurry to problem areas.
Products that improve enamel color
The laughter and smile of a child is a real happiness for loving parents. Therefore, with the development of pathology, mom and dad often think about how to clean the plaque on the child’s teeth on their own. It is not always possible to do this without the help of a dentist. To improve the color of the enamel will turn out with the help of some foods. These include:
- Seeds and nuts. By eating these foods, you can gradually clear the enamel from dark spots. In addition, nuts and seeds contain a huge amount of beneficial micronutrients that help maintain he althy teeth.
- Pears and apples. These fruits strengthen the gums and mechanically clean the enamel. In addition, apples and pears contain water, which also helps fight various bacteria.
- Broccoli is good for the body as a whole and for tooth enamel. The vegetable effectively fights dark plaque.
- Strawberries and wild strawberries can be called natural bleach. The berries contain acids that improve the color of the enamel.
- Pure water is one of the best remedies for dental he alth.
- Cottage cheese and curdled milk, due to the large amount of calcium, are able to strengthen tooth enamel.
- Leaf vegetables. During chewing, substances are released that destroy harmful microorganisms in the oral cavity.
- Fish. Almost all varieties contain fluorine, phosphorus and calcium necessary for teeth. He althy gums and enamel without these trace elementsimpossible.
Prevention
Prevention of plaque and other dental problems must be started immediately, as soon as the first teeth erupted in the little one. There are several recommendations that can reduce the risk of developing pathological changes in the enamel:
- The first, erupted teeth must be cleaned with sterile gauze. Parents are then advised to purchase a silicone brush. With its help, it will be possible to remove the formed plaque. When the child learns to rinse out his mouth on his own, you can entrust the care of the oral cavity to him. Make sure your child brushes their teeth at least twice a day.
- Control the child's diet. Minimize the consumption of sweets, include more fresh vegetables and fruits in the menu.
- Maintain humidity in the baby's bedroom.
- Parents should not lick a pacifier before giving it to their baby.
- The sooner a child learns to use cutlery, the less likely they are to develop bottle caries.
- The first visit to the dentist should be as soon as the baby is 9 months old.
