How to prevent your children from developing fluorosis in teeth?

How to prevent your children from developing fluorosis in teeth?

Fluorosis in teeth is a condition that appears as the result of excess ingest of fluoride during the teeth development period, generally from birth to 6-8 years of age. Children and adults can prevent and control tooth decay by using the correct amount of fluoride in their toothpaste. An important reason why it needs to be included in the toothpaste.
SLS-free toothpaste exists for special circumstances in which tooth sensitivity exists. Besides, sensitivity is mainly presented in adults, and fluorosis happens in children’s teeth development stages. Therefore, it is important to discuss with your children’s pediatric dentist the most recommended type of toothpaste for them, appropriate for their age and teeth´ characteristics.

What happens if a child ingests fluoride?

Low amounts of fluoride are not harmful. That is why in products such as toothpaste, we utilize the benefits of fluoride. Fluorosis is the long-term ingestion of too much fluoride. In addition to the fact that fluor is a mineral naturally found in the earth’s crust and some parts of the world, there is excess flour in their drinking water.
There are other consequences of the excessive ingestion of fluorine in a short period of time in children. The following are related symptoms:

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain

Although fluoride’s toxicity usually doesn’t have serious consequences, it can send a child to the hospital if the previously mentioned symptoms worsen.

The impact of fluorosis and how to detect it

The severity of fluorosis can range from mild to severe, depending on how much fluoride a person has been exposed to during the tooth development phase. Mild fluorosis in teeth is normally characterized by the appearance of small white spots or opaque white patches on the enamel, resulting from the hypomineralization of the tooth´s enamel. The teeth of people with severe dental fluorosis are speckled or pitted.

Only an oral health professional can help you prevent, detect, and treat fluorosis properly.

Ways to prevent children from getting fluorosis:

• Children can be prevented from getting dental fluorosis if they are not allowed to swallow fluoride toothpaste
• Only put one pea-sized amount of toothpaste in your children’s toothbrush with every brush.
• Supervise your children’s brushing sessions to prevent them from swallowing the toothpaste – and to make sure they properly clean their teeth.

Dental specialist for young children

Our kids dentists in Tijuana specializes in preventing and treating all diseases related to children’s and adolescents’ chewing and tooth organs. Dentistry and pediatric dentistry are very similar—the significant difference between the two is in how decayed teeth are treated and focusing on preventive or interceptive treatments for malocclusion conditions to avoid major problems in adolescence and adulthood.

Younger patients still have baby teeth, which implies some modifications to the needed dental procedures compared to adults. However, the necessities of their proper teeth development make it essential for them to be treated by a trained specialist who has extensive knowledge of children’s oral characteristics and treats them accordingly.

Going to specialized dentists in Tijuana at a young age helps create a record of oral health to prevent, detect and/or eliminate a problem as soon as possible. Get in contact with our dentists in Tijuana for more information to have the pediatric dentist guide you through your kid’s dental health needs.