# white spots on DD teeth?



## mamamoogs (Jan 31, 2005)

I have noticed that there are white spots on DD top front teeth, now I do try to brush them but those top fronts are hard she clamps down her top lip and it is nearly impossible to get to them with out hurting her which I wont do so I kinda just try to wipe the top ones off with a washcloth.

DD has reflux had it since a baby and I have noticed that there is milk around her mouth in the morning,(she drinks milk, we dont bf) I figure it is the reflux that happens through the night, we do brush her teeth as best as we can before bed but with this happening at night it's almost like we dont brush.....

We do not give her flouride and she doesn't take vitamins yet, so what do you think this could be?

Thanks


----------



## emmasmominar (Jan 12, 2006)

ehat toothpase are you using? It does need to be a floride free. Is there floride in your water?


----------



## Tori Gollihugh (Jun 16, 2005)

I'm pretty sure the spots are caused by overabundance of floride in the system. Which, I think, is why the pp suggested a non-floride toothpaste (or you can PRETEND to put toothpaste on the brucsh - this satisfies my DD). Don't worry about the floride in the water, but don't give any supplements either.







They shouldn't come in on the permanent teeth, as long as there's not too much floride at that time.


----------



## afishwithabike (Jun 8, 2005)

It can be too much flouride or calcium deposits. Try to make sure you are not using flouride toothpaste and that you are using unflouridated water. Check toothpaste for ingredients like liquid calcuim as well.


----------



## Henry's_Mamma (Jan 23, 2004)

First, it could be tarter. Second, and I do not want to alarm you, but it could also be early signs of decay. Early decay starts as demineralization of the tooth, resulting in a chalky-white appearance. In kids this age, it is referred to as "Early Childhood Caries" (or ECC). ECC typically affects the top 4 front teeth first, and usually appears on adjacent teeth. It can progress rapidly. (Do a Google search and you will find lots of info. and photos.) As the mother of a child who has been down this road, I can assure you this is not something to mess with. We caught my son's problems early and we have stopped the decay without having to do anything restorative (like drilling, caps, crowns, or root canals).

I would do some searches and if you are concerned, see a PEDIATRIC dentist. This will undoubtedly upset your dd, but in the long run, it is for her health, and sometimes we have to do things that are not pleasant b/c it is the right thing to do, even if it greatly upsets our kids. (You wouldn't keep her from having a bone set if she broke her arm, would you?)

In terms of treatment, there are loads of options available. What you might want to start with is using xylitol containing products. Do a Google search and you'll understand why that is helpful.


----------



## Kincaid (Feb 12, 2004)

My son has two white spots on his teeth. I did a TON of research on this and talked to our pediatric dentist as well as the dental faculty at the University where I work.

Like what Henry's Mamma said... the most common cause of this is ECC, early childhood caries or "baby bottle tooth decay". These white spots are typically up near the gum line and reflect de-mineralization of the tooth enamel, which is a precursor of a cavity. Like you, my son had GER/reflux and we were concerned this was the cause of the white spots - stomach acids eating the enamel. However my child's spots are on the lower surface near the bottom of the tooth, not up at the gumline. But still, after a panic-stricken trip to the pediatric dentist we learned....

His spots are just a fluke that happened prenatally during the tooth formation in utero. It's thought to be more likely to happen when moms are given certain antibiotics, moms who had infections near the end of their pregnancy, toxemia, etc. Often there is no explanation, the dental professor said it's like moles/birthmarks... sometimes things happen, we don't know why, it's not the mom's fault, and they are just "cosmetic" anomalies and nothing really wrong.

I asked about "flurosis" which is white spots caused by excessive flouride consumption. The dental professors said that the baby teeth are formed in UTERO so it's not related to the child's flouride consumption. (However, he strongly agreed a child's flouride consumption will affect the adult teeth, and said this is why schools no longer do flouride treatments and cities have drastically lowered the flouridation of water supply. He said this is still a problem in some other countries but rare to see happen in the US these days).

Baby bottle tooth decay is serious stuff, so I'd have a dentist rule that out. But it could be "nothing" like our sons - keeping my fingers crossed for you! I know what it's like worrying about the reflux damaging the tooth enamel...


----------



## mamamoogs (Jan 31, 2005)

Well first thing is we dont have any flouride in our water and we dont use toothpaste at all, we did but it was gerber a few months back and ofcourse there was no fouride in that either.

As far as bottle rot I hope it is not that we dont give her bottles at night she gets a few during the day but thats it. I was worried it was from refluxing at night though, so maybe it is could be ECC but on the other hand like Kincaid stated her spots are on the bottom of the top teeth not near the gum line and It makes sense that it could be from antibitotics, when I was pg with DD I was in the hospital being treated with iv antibiotics for pnemonia(SP) so I guess it could be that too, well I will just keep an eye on them.

thanks


----------



## Mom2baldie (Oct 29, 2002)

Hey mamamoogs,

My little 4 year old DD has white spots on the bottom of her two front teeth and her ped. dentist said that it isn't a problem at all (except cosmetically). He said that it is most likely a result of mouth-breathing during the night and the air hitting the tips of her teeth - so if your DD is a night-time mouth breather that could be another reason for the spots.

Just wanted to offer another explanation! Hope you are able to figure out whats going on.


----------



## ratlover (Mar 8, 2003)

This is interesting. I noticed white spots on dd's top front teeth when she was not quite 2. There is one in the middle of each front tooth. At the time the dentist said not to worry about it, but as the year went on, they've turned light brown and I've noticed spots on the two adjacent teeth. It turns out that they are indeed decay and will probably need to be filled (she's almost 3 now). The dentist said that the enamel probably didn't develop properly on these teeth. And the antibiotic explanation could be true for us because I was on antibiotics almost the entire last trimester for a bladder infection that wouldn't go away. We don't have fluoridated water, but I have been using a tiny amount of fluoridated toothpaste at night.
Janine


----------

