Chalky Teeth in Children – Treat Them On Time

We should be concerned about our children’s oral health, because a recent research has revealed that at least one among six children suffers from a condition called “chalky teeth”, putting them on an increased risk of tooth decay. If you approach a clinic of dentistry in Oakland or Salem or wherever you are based, you can hear the word “molar hypomineralisation” which is the formal name of chalky teeth. Researchers in Melbourne therefore make an appeal to dentists, parents and other healthcare professionals to take measures to save children’s teeth. Majority of the affected children lose their adult molars and are heading towards a period of years of pricey dental and orthodontic treatments.

At present, there is no cure for chalky teeth. But there is something to take a sigh of relief and it is the early diagnosis and dental treatment. These can often avoid tooth decay and/or extraction. The problem is, many children are not taken to the dentist on time.

Dr. David Manton, who is Professor of Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Melbourne, says that parents are usually under the impression that they are doing everything needed for their children’s teeth, viz. proper hygiene, diet and fluoride. When they take the children to the dentist and find that a few bad teeth are present among a mouthful of healthy teeth, they are distressed and wonder where they are going wrong.

The answer is the bad teeth may be damaged already while they were in their developmental stage inside the jaws, most probably because of a childhood illness.

The most commonly occurring sign is abnormally white or creamy-brown spots on the child’s teeth. You can see them on the baby teeth and should understand the red signal that they will become a problem later when adult molars break out. Adult molars are those teeth which are at maximum risk.

Prof. Manton suggests that children should ideally undergo dental checkups right after their baby teeth first come out into the mouth and especially when the adult teeth make their presence in the child’s mouth at about the age of six.

Dr. Sharon Godfeld who is a pediatrician and chairperson of the group working for child and adolescent oral health at the Royal Australian College of Physicians says that parents and healthcare professionals treating children should be now well aware of the condition.

She further says that if you or your doctor gets a slight doubt that the child may have a chalky tooth, you should take the child to the dentist without delay.

A website named www.thed3group.org has been launched in Melbourne visiting which children, parents and healthcare professionals can know more about chalky teeth and understand how to identify them. This is world’s first educational resource of this kind. The website is a part of a research and awareness campaign conducted by The D3 Group – an interdisciplinary network of research centered on developmental defects in teeth.

Mike Hubbard, Professor of Oral and Facial Science informs that chalky teeth lead to teeth that have abnormally less amounts of calcium mineral and so, even on slightly affected teeth, extra-white patches are seen, which is a key sign.

The condition is not associated with the child’s diet, hygiene or lifestyle. The countries in the first world have to spend about 10 percent of the total health budget on treating dental caries, according to Prof. Manton. If there is a greater awareness about symptoms of chalky teeth among parents and doctors, timely visit to dentists can save a lot of money which can be used elsewhere.

The research network is now active for understanding the underlying connection between childhood illnesses and chalky teeth, with an aim to find out a preventive measure for the condition.