Jessica Brian

What Is Fluorosis? What Are The Symptoms, Causes, And Treatment?

Have you heard of a condition that cosmetically affects your teeth? This occurrence is caused by extreme and added fluoride exposure during the initial eight years of your life. At this stage of your life, the permanent teeth are being formed and are going through significant changes.

Once the teeth start coming in, the teeth of those affected by this condition can begin appearing discolored mildly. The teeth might start having stains from yellow to dark brown color, and you might face surface irregularities or pits that are incredibly noticeable. Such a situation calls for urgent dental care.

Fluorosis was first started in the early 20th century, and researchers showed that the stains were caused due to high fluoride levels in the local water supply. The fluoride existed naturally in the groundwater. People who suffered from colors came to have a weirdly high resistance to dental cavities. Even though fluorosis is not a disease, it can be psychologically distressing and difficult to treat. 

Causes of fluorosis

A significant reason for fluorosis is the inappropriate use of fluoride-containing dental products such as toothpaste and mouth rinses. There are other causes of fluorosis as well, such as taking a higher than the prescribed amount of a fluoride supplement during the early years of childhood. Therefore, taking a fluoride supplement or fluoride-containing juices can end up damaging your dental condition and calls for a dental emergency.

Symptoms of fluorosis

This condition's symptoms range from tiny white specks or streaks that might go unnoticed to dark brown stains or rough enamel that can get quite difficult to clean. Those teeth that are unaffected by fluorosis are generally smooth as well as glossy. Moreover, there are various categories of fluorosis's seriousness, ranging from questionable and very mild up to moderate and severe. 

Treatment of fluorosis

Usually, fluorosis is mild and generally doesn't require any special treatment. The appearance and color are affected by moderate to severe fluorosis and can be improved and fixed through various techniques.  

• Tooth whitening and other such procedures to remove the stains - Bleaching teeth is not recommended as a solution as it may further damage the teeth.
• Bonding is used to create a coating layer on the tooth with a hard resin that bonds it to the enamel.
• Crowns
• Veneers, which are custom, made shells that cover the teeth' front and improve the overall appearance. 
• MI paste, which is a calcium phosphate product that is used for minimizing tooth discoloration.

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