If a nerve dies within a tooth, the tooth will darken as the nerve sheds material into the dentin. A number of other conditions can contribute to wider tooth discolouration, such as certain antibiotics and chemotherapy. Sometimes however, discolouration can indicate something more serious, such as exposure to substances that have harmed the teeth. It takes several years for tooth enamel to develop and in that time, foreign substances can be incorporated altering the eventual colour of the teeth.
In
children, discoloured baby teeth are usually a result of tooth decay, which is
often caused by inadequate brushing. In such cases, normal, permanent teeth
grow in to replace the discoloured teeth. In rare cases, childhood infections
can make a tooth yellow or brown because the enamel did not develop properly.
Teeth can
darken over time due to stains from food and drink, Illness, malnutrition and
other types of physical stress can cause white splotches on the teeth. An
injury that causes bleeding in the pulp of the tooth may cause the enamel to
turn pink or grey.
- Avoid excessive fluoride use.
You may want to find out the fluoride level in your local water supply. It
is important that we take fluorine into our body, however too much can
cause tooth discolouration.
- Do not take drugs belonging to
the tetracycline family if you are pregnant and do not give it to children
who are under eight years of age.
- Ensure that children are aware
of the importance of dental hygiene.
- They should brush their teeth twice a day
and this should be supervised to ensure that they are doing it well.
