I was wondering if anyone knows why some toddlers get these gray spots on their teeth?? I never let her go to sleep with a bottle and she is not taking any vitamins or antibiotics. In fact, she refuses to eat any table food at all!! For some reason, she swallows her food whole with out chewing. It's just as hard to get her to drink any water or juices. This is happening to all of her teeth, top bottom, and even the new molars in the back. This never happend with my first daughter, so what in the heck am I doing wrong??
Did she get all of her teeth really early? My son (3) had all his teeth by the time he was one. This did not give his teeth enough time to develop so he has NO enamel, no protection from anything on his teeth. I have wiped his gums since he was a baby and was adimant about brushing his teeth. Despite all this he had to get sealers and a root canal at 2! Go to the dentist ASAP!
I googled "Gray spots on teeth" and clicked on this link:
http://www.mchoralhealth.org/materials/multiples/helpmesm...
It's a PDF file, and on page 22 it says basically that graying of the teeth is caused by some sort of injury or cavities. Says to see a dentist. The same page talks about white spots and brown spots.
Now I have a 22 month old, so I know you're thinking "My daughter's not going to sit in a chair and keep her mouth open for some scary dentist" but if you try a pediatric dentist, I'm sure they have all sorts of tricks up their sleeves.
Good luck. Sooner you go, probably the better for your daughter's health.
Please let us know what the dentist says. I am very curious to find out what causes this.
Did you take any antibiotics while your child was in the womb? I only suggest this because my husband's mother took tetracyclene while he was in the womb and he ended up having grey (but very very strong) teeth.
Are you or your children Asian? A friend of mine whose son is part Japanese was told that tooth discoloration is common in Asian children because of all the iron fortification in rice. I'd never heard of such a thing before. With my friend's son, the discoloration usually occurs when they go out to eat for sushi. It's temporary, but it does come back whenever he eats a lot of rice.
I THINK the flouride in toothpast can do this which why babies aren't to consume it.
First question, you say you don't let her go to sleep with a bottle, but is she still drinking out of one? If so, that's the issue right there. The sugars from formula, milk, breast milk, etc.sit on the teeth when they are being ingested via a bottle, and cause decay. Are you nursing? If so, that could be the issue also, for the same reason. I was once a dental assistant and am familiar with a lot of dental recommendations, and all of the dentists I've ever worked with have advised mothers not to breastfeed past the one year mark, for this reason. Also, if she is still drinking out of a bottle, putting anything in it other than water at this age is just a no-no. More likely than not though, it sounds like there might have been some trauma to the teeth, but when you say all of her teeth are like that, I have to wonder if it's something else. Whatever it is, she needs to go to her dentist right away. Did the dentist mention anything about this at her last visit? I think the dentist would be more than willing to advise you on this, but he or she should have brought it to your attention initially.
I mentioned trauma because of the color of the discoloration, and it reminded me of when my daughter was about 2. She bit a Lego with her front tooth, and when she did, her tooth broke in half and the bottom part of her tooth came flying out not far behind the Lego. Naturally, because of the trauma, and eventually necrosis, her tooth turned gray and had to be pulled. She walked around looking like a 5 year old with no front teeth for 3 or 4 years! Good luck to you, and make sure she gets in to see her dentist :)
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First question, you say you don't let her go to sleep with a bottle, but is she still drinking out of one? If so, that's the issue right there. The sugars from formula, milk, breast milk, etc.sit on the teeth when they are being ingested via a bottle, and cause decay. Are you nursing? If so, that could be the issue also, for the same reason. I was once a dental assistant and am familiar with a lot of dental recommendations, and all of the dentists I've ever worked with have advised mothers not to breastfeed past the one year mark, for this reason. Also, if she is still drinking out of a bottle, putting anything in it other than water at this age is just a no-no. More likely than not though, it sounds like there might have been some trauma to the teeth, but when you say all of her teeth are like that, I have to wonder if it's something else. Whatever it is, she needs to go to her dentist right away. Did the dentist mention anything about this at her last visit? I think the dentist would be more than willing to advise you on this, but he or she should have brought it to your attention initially.
I mentioned trauma because of the color of the discoloration, and it reminded me of when my daughter was about 2. She bit a Lego with her front tooth, and when she did, her tooth broke in half and the bottom part of her tooth came flying out not far behind the Lego. Naturally, because of the trauma, and eventually necrosis, her tooth turned gray and had to be pulled. She walked around looking like a 5 year old with no front teeth for 3 or 4 years! Good luck to you, and make sure she gets in to see her dentist :)
I would take her to the dentist. Grey usually isnt a good thing means the tooth is dying. I've seen the white spots but never grey. Maybe she doesnt chew because its sensitive. Im pretty sure its nothing you have done but I would take her into the dentist.
Greying teeth usually means that she probably hit them at some time while falling down. You can take her to a dentist to have it checked out.
It may be her reaction to any number of things, including the water. A friend's son had cavities at only a few months older. Take her to a pediatric dentist as soon as you can.
I agree with the other moms - you definitely need to see a dentist. Gray spots usually mean the tooth is damaged in some way and at risk for falling out/decaying. A dentist can help you figure out what steps to take. What does she eat? Maybe she isn't getting enough nutrients since she isn't chewing or using her teeth at all. Have you asked the pediatrician for tips on getting her to eat? My son loves sauce (teriyaki, soy, ketchup, anything really) and this helped get him to eat a lot of meats and veggies.
I would take her to a pediatric dentist asap.
If she won't eat table food, what is she eating? If she is breastfed, it could be that you need to increase your vitamin intake to help her get more through the milk. Talk to your dr. If she is on formula, is she on the NextStep/Stage 2 formula. That is different from regular formula. The NextStep or Stage 2 (depends on the brand you use) is specially formulated for toddlers 12m - 24m.
Also, what is your bedtime routine? Do you help her brush her teeth every night, or is she Miss Independent like my 3y? BTW, I was just told my 3y, who brushes nightly had 4 cavities!
Good luck and please let us know what happens.
M.
Are you brushing her teeth? That would help.
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also use child training tooth paste...but you child should be brushing their teeth twice a day...also try using a kid friendly electric toothbrush.
