Iron Stains on Teeth of Toddler

My little girl has been taking iron supplements since she was born because she was premature. She doesn’t have teeth yet but her split-up has become a stain bomb. We combat that by immediately taking the spit up on clothing and hitting it with a stain remover and washing it.

Can’t really do that with a toddlers teeth as bleaching agents are out of the question, (don’t want him to swallow it!) so I’m not sure what you could do to get rid of the stains that are already there, but to help prevent future stains, as soon as he is finished taking his supplement brush his teeth! Just like it is suggested if you are a heavy coffee drinker to brush your teeth to help prevent stains after consuming, I’m sure the same good advice would help keep an iron supplement stain from settling as well.

My little girl had the same problem with the iron stains. I took her to the dentist who said to brush her teeth with baking soda. It took the stains away after two brushings. I was so relived. I hope this helps.

Hi C.. This may be a stupid question but have you taken him to the dentist? Maybe they could suggest something. Or maybe they can clean them. I'm actually surprised your dentist hasn't said anything. Well, this is all the advice I have...lol. Big help huh? Good luck with this. Best Wishes, T.

Hi C.,
I have read everyone's responce and all sounds good, however in perhaps if you are not able to brush his teath right away, why not give hime a sippie of water to flush his mouth. That is what the dentist suggested to me for my little one when I put her to bed. She said the last thing I should give her is water so that she can rinse her mouth from all the milk and sugars.

Hey C.! My daughter had to take iron supplements as well for anemia. Her doctor said instead of giving it directly to her I should add the drops to her water or juice. She still received all the iron she needed it was just diluted so it didn't hit her teeth full force. When she was done with her drink I would brush her teeth. Now, my doc didn't suggest this until AFTER her teeth were already stained, but it did help to not make the stains worse. Now my daughter is off of the stuff and I brush her teeth at least twice a day. The stains are starting to fade away, but if your little one's stains don't, I wouldn't worry! Like someone else mentioned, they are baby teeth and will fall out! :o) I know it's hard though because you want your baby to have beautiful teeth! It will all work out! Good luck!
S.

HI C.. I KNOW THIS DOESN'T SOUND LIKE AN ANSWER BUT HE IS ONLY 2 AND THEY ARE HIS BABY TEETH. THEY ARE GOING TO FALL OUT ANYWAYS. BUT I WOULD TAKE HIM TO A DENTIST REGULARLY TO MAKE SURE THE ADULT TEETH AREN'T AFFECTED.

C. my brother had to take liquid Iron when he was little and unfortunately the iron ate his enamel and rotted the teeth. I hope a dentist can help you because back in the 70's there wasn't a treatment except pull the teeth when they were too far gone. I would suggest you speak to the doctor prescribing the iron and see what the doctor says then if nothing else take him to a dentist. I know this isn't the answer you are looking for but its all I know about the subject matter. W. H.

MY Daughter has been taking the same iron supplements, but she only has 2 teeth so I havn't seen much staining, my doctor said the stains are normal- just wipe his teeth with a wet cloth or try brushing them twice a day if you don't already.

Hey C.,
I work at a pediatric dentist and remove these iron stains from children's teeth all the time. Yes, baking soda does work, but most kids don't like it. (hence the pinning down you had to do). We use a special pumice polishing paste and polishing cup to remove it in the office. It should be a regular part of his dental visit. Most insurances only pay for 2 of these cleanings a year, but you may want to bring your child in every 3 months and just have his teeth polished every other time, and just pay out of pocket.(it shouldn't be too much just for the polishing.)Don't think that just because they're baby teeth, that it doesn't matter. Those giving that advice are wrong. your child will not lose these teeth until the ages of 5-7 years old. Believe me, children can be cruel, and WILL make fun of other children or your child may feel self conscious of it as they start going to school w/ other kids. Also, other things like apple juice, cranberry juice, sodas, etc. can stain. So make sure you dilute and rinse after.I hope this has helped you.