Dental fluorosis is a medical condition in which tooth enamel deterioration occurs. It takes place when children consume fluoride regularly during their teeth formation years. Generally, children aged eight or under. Contact a dentist in Willowbrook, IL, to discuss your dental health.
Dental fluorosis cases are primarily mild to moderate in nature. They lead to barely visible white spots on the surface of teeth. They do not have much impact on the functioning of teeth.
Severe cases of dental fluorosis are rare but cause significant alterations in the enamel of the teeth. The formation of pits in the teeth is observed.
Symptoms of dental fluorosis
If you observe white patches on the surface of your child’s teeth, contact your dental health provider. Additionally, discoloration is also one of the common symptoms of dental fluorosis.
In minor cases of fluorosis, there is no pain involved. It only alters the shape of your tooth enamel and leads to white streaks on the surface of your teeth. Based on its severity, dental fluorosis can be grouped into the following types:
- Doubtful
If you notice slight changes in the appearance of enamel, there may be chances of fluorosis. The symptoms can range from white specks to patches.
- Very mild
In these cases, a tiny proportion of the surface is covered with opaque white patches.
- Mild
The opaque regions of white regions spread more in these cases. However, they still cover less than half of the teeth.
- Moderate
In such cases, 50% of the tooth surface is covered with opaque white streaks.
- Severe
In severe cases of dental fluorosis, almost the entire area of the enamel is ruined. Pits can be seen on the teeth, a sign of severe fluorosis.
Treatment of dental fluorosis
Most of the cases are mild and do not need any effective treatment. They only damage the rear tooth at most, which is not visible. However, moderate and severe cases of fluorosis require specific dental procedures to improve the look of your teeth.
The treatments used are as follows:
- Veneers
These are customized shells created to cover the patient’s frontal part of teeth. This dental technique improves the teeth’s overall look. Severe cases of fluorosis often require veneers as a suitable treatment to improve the teeth’s aesthetics.
- MI Paste
It is a calcium phosphate paste and other dental procedures to treat teeth discoloration. It helps reduce the opaque white patches on the teeth’ enamel and improve their appearance.
- Tooth whitening
These are commonly used treatments for reducing discoloration. However, it is suggested to be careful while choosing this method as fluorosis is a great risk of worsening after the whitening treatment.
- Bonding
Bonding involves coating the teeth with a strong resin that sticks to the enamel part.