Child’s teeth are turning orange
There are a number of reasons your child’s teeth are turning orange. It could be due to cavities or other factors. A dental exam at Sunny Smiles Dentistry for Children and Young Adults will allow our dentists to inspect your child’s orange teeth and determine how to treat them.
Orange Stain
If your child’s teeth are turning orange, especially on the front teeth and at the gum line, it could be the result of bacteria that produce an orange skin. It could mean that your child is not doing a sufficient job in cleaning his/her teeth.
Sunny Smiles Dentistry for Children can teach your child how to brush his/her teeth properly. We’ll also teach your child how to floss to completely remove food debris from the mouth and prevent an orange stain from appearing.
Antibiotics
Another cause of orange teeth is antibiotics. Amoxicillin, for instance, is a common culprit of tooth discoloration. A single dose could cause your child’s teeth to turn orange or yellow. Typically, the stains go away after your child stops taking this medicine.
Doxycycline
In addition to amoxicillin, doxycycline is another antibiotic that can cause orange teeth. But, unlike amoxicillin, staining from doxycycline is permanent particularly if your child took the drug while he/she was younger than eight years old. Because of this, this drug isn’t prescribed to children younger than eight. It is only a necessary treatment if your child is suffering from anthrax.
When To Visit The Dentist
When you notice that your child’s teeth are turning orange, you must visit his/her dentist as soon as possible and treat the discoloration before it becomes permanent.
Brushing the teeth regularly and thoroughly can easily prevent tooth staining. Stains can be difficult to remove if they have been on the teeth for long. Professional cleaning may no longer be useful. It’s vital that your child visit the dentist every six months to remove any tooth discoloration and staining. Permanent tooth staining can change the overall appearance of a smile.
Our Sunny Smiles Dentistry clinic caters to children and young adults. We have dentists who specialize in treating pediatric patients. They can give proper treatment for teeth discoloration in kids and young adults.
The first thing that our dentists would do is to assess your child’s mouth and teeth before recommending a proper treatment. All underlying issues must be resolved first.
Your child can prevent staining his/her teeth by avoiding eating or drinking colored beverages. He/she must rinse his/her mouth after drinking these beverages or anything that could stain the teeth.
We can teach your kids how to take care of their teeth and prevent them from getting stained.
My Child’s Tooth is Turning Gray
Childhood tooth discoloration can have a number of causes. In some cases, juices such as grape and apple may stain the teeth. When your child drinks these juices often, it can cause the tooth enamel to begin to break down. When a baby tooth begins to turn gray however, this suggests that an oral trauma has taken place and your child is experiencing intrinsic discoloration.
Intrinsic Discoloration
Intrinsic discoloration can range in color from gray to brown, and occurs when your child has suffered a concussion injury or a blow to the tooth. The blood vessels inside the tooth will break, and the dentinal tubules inside the tooth will absorb the blood. Because your child’s tooth enamel is translucent, the blood is visible through the enamel, making the tooth appear gray. In some cases, this type of discoloration can resolve itself without treatment. It is important however, to have the tooth checked and evaluated by your dentist.
In some cases, if your child’s tooth is turning gray, this intrinsic discoloration may be caused by a tooth abscess. If this is the case, a painless dental procedure may be used to remove the abscess and the dead tissue from inside the tooth. While this won’t completely reverse the discoloration, it will improve the appearance of the tooth.
Will My Child’s Tooth Need to be Pulled?
In most cases, intrinsic tooth discoloration that occurs with a child’s baby teeth is simply an aesthetic problem. Your dentist will carefully evaluate the tooth. As long as there is no risk of damage to the gums or surrounding teeth, your child’s tooth will be allowed to fall out naturally in its own time. There is usually no need to pull the tooth before the permanent tooth is ready to come in on its own.
Can Intrinsic Discoloration Be Prevented?
Intrinsic discoloration in your child’s baby teeth is almost always caused by injury to the tooth. The best way to prevent this type of discoloration from occurring in the first place is to ensure that your child is wearing a protective mouth guard whenever they are involved in athletic activities where they may suffer an impact or trauma to their mouth, chin, or face. The best solution is to have a mouth guard professional made specifically for your child’s bite by the dentist. These mouth guards not only protect the teeth from impact, they can hep mitigate some of the damage caused by blows to the chin and may help to prevent injuries like concussions in certain circumstances. While many sports require the use of an athletic guard, there are other cases where your child may want to consider wearing one as well, even when it is not required. These activities may include:
- Skateboarding/rollerblading
- Gymnastics/acrobatics
- Martial arts
- Basketball
- Soccer
- Handball
- Volleyball
- Weightlifting
- Discus throwing
In short, your child should wear an athletic mouth guard any time there is a risk that they may come into physical contact with hard surfaces or other players in the course of their activity.