What to do if your child has a pink tooth
The tooth consists of both hard and soft tissues. Inside it is soft pulp and nerves. The pulp is made up of a semi-solid material called dentin. Dentin helps form the bulk of the structure and protect the sensory nerves and blood vessels inside. Enamel is a thin coating over dentin that adds another layer of protection. Enamel helps protect dentin and pulp from bacteria. Caries that gets into the enamel and dentin and reaches the pulp can lead to its death. When decay reaches the pulp, it creates a pathway for bacteria to infect the tissue. A healthy pulp will respond to infection the same way as any other part of the body: with inflammation.
Another thing that can cause redness is injury. If you are struck in the jaw by a fall or while playing sports, it can damage blood vessels. The tooth needs blood, so when there is no more blood, it dies. This usually happens slowly over time and does not cause as much pain as when decay reaches the pulp.
During eruption, root resorption occurs. The root is absorbed and begins to dissolve. Once the root is completely resorbed, the baby tooth will fall out - so there will be no visible root. If resorption continues, a pink tint may appear. It may take about 2-3 weeks for the color to change. If the tooth turns red, this is the result of thinning or translucency of the enamel. This looks strange, but is not a cause for alarm. Parents can always consult a dentist if the child is bothered by pain or the shade becomes more intense.
The damage is usually irreversible, but sometimes it can be repaired, especially if it is caused by tooth decay. The dentist will make a diagnosis and recommend treatment.
Disease that causes stains on teeth
A dental disease that manifests itself in the form of multi-colored spots on their surface is called hypoplasia . The disease appears during the gestation period of the future dental patient. It develops in a child if the mother, during pregnancy, had stomach problems, and also had a lack of vitamin D or was exposed to a viral disease.
In such cases, it is necessary to increase the child’s immunity and change his diet. First of all, it is necessary to exclude the possibility of excessive amounts of fluoride entering the body. To do this, you should avoid toothpaste with a high content of it. You need to give your child only purified (bottled or filtered) water, and also give him more vitamins, vegetables and fruits.
With the development of the disease, expressed in the appearance of new spots and an increase in the area of existing ones, remineralization is necessary. The procedure consists of the dentist coating the teeth with a special paste containing substances designed to strengthen the enamel. For hypoplasia detected before the age of eighteen, fluoridation or silvering is also performed.
How to treat a pink tooth in a child
A pink tooth in a child should not cause panic. It is important to know that this is usually not a serious situation. The problem often occurs in young children and, as a rule, it is harmless - there is no harmful effect on the health of the jaw. A red tooth in a child is a sign of resorption.
If the pink discoloration is persistent, it may indicate a more serious problem and parents should consult a dentist.
The doctor can:
- put a seal;
- remove dentin;
- apply intracanal bleaching.
Treatment depends on various factors and the exact cause of the change in shade.
Treatment of stained teeth at the Family Dentist clinic
We have experienced doctors who have been treating caries and non-carious lesions for 15–20 years, and accurately identify the spotted form of hypoplasia. White spots on teeth are similar to early caries and fluorosis. We identify the disease by its shape, color intensity, localization of lesions, smoothness or roughness of the enamel layer. We dry the teeth, examine them under fluorescent lighting, and stain them with methylene solution.
Our pediatric dentists provide attention and care, treat restless and capricious little patients with patience, and make diagnosis and treatment comfortable. Children leave in a good mood and are not afraid to come again.
Dental hypoplasia is irreversible; treatment consists of strengthening the enamel layer and restoring chips, cracks, and color. We select treatment tactics depending on the severity of the disorders and take into account the condition of hard tissues.
We perform remineralizing therapy to strengthen the enamel and prevent caries at the site of the spots. We apply applications or mouth guards with preparations containing phosphorus and calcium. To increase the effectiveness of remineralization, after completing the course we fluoride the teeth to prevent calcium leaching. For hygiene, we recommend prophylactic pastes with fluorides, phosphates, hydroxyapatite crystals, and calcium. In Minsk there are good pastes: Apadent Kids, Children's Pearls, Lacalut Kids, Biorepair Kids.
We excise areas with erosion and install a filling if we are treating brown spots on children’s teeth. Our clinic uses reliable filling materials with fluoride, which are indistinguishable in shine and color from natural enamel. Filling prevents the appearance of cracks, the penetration of microbes, and gives the smile an aesthetic appearance.
We use whitening in older children with slight clouding of the enamel. Whitening methods are effective for isolated chalky stains.
If you notice white or brown spots on your child's teeth, make an appointment with our family dentistry. We will strengthen the enamel, restore damaged areas, and eliminate cosmetic defects.
What to do if an adult’s tooth turns red
As resorption occurs, the pink or red color becomes more noticeable and the structure changes. If you catch the early stage of dying, there is a chance to preserve the external structure. The internal, damaged pulp can be cleaned out and replaced with a hard filling material that will help protect the structural integrity. Preserving as much of the original structure as possible is important for oral health. Gaps in your smile can lead to poor jawbone health, uneven bites, bacterial growth, and cosmetic problems.
If severe damage is observed, removal will likely be the best option. It is recommended to get an implant to maintain the health of your jaw and mouth.
Prevention of caries in children
Prevention of childhood caries includes several areas, which boil down to proper nutrition, as well as home and professional hygiene.
- Individual oral hygiene. Home hygiene means that as soon as the first tooth hatches, a brush for the baby should appear in a glass next to the parents’ brushes. The same applies to toothpaste. At first, the paste can be applied to gauze or a fingertip to clean your teeth so as not to injure your delicate gums. You need to clean your teeth from all surfaces vertically, then wipe them with a brush soaked in water. Thus, firstly, plaque will be removed, and, secondly, parents will teach the baby to take care of the oral cavity.
- Prevention of caries with the help of a well-chosen diet. As for nutrition, parental duty is to breastfeed the baby from the very beginning. There is no need to talk about the beneficial properties of breast milk, and the sucking process greatly affects the developing jaw system. Then the baby should be accustomed to fermented milk products. By six months, the child should be fed kefir, and later - cottage cheese and cheese. Parents should remember that the main formation and formation of permanent teeth occurs up to 3 years. This means that calcium must always be present in the daily diet.
- Professional oral hygiene. This type of prevention involves periodic visits to the dentist and hygienist. The first visit should occur on your first birthday. The specialist will not only give recommendations for care, but also create a diet regimen and examine the mouth. When the first teeth emerge, you and your child will be shown how to brush their teeth properly at an appointment with a hygienist. If there is a problem such as tartar in children, you cannot do without professional hygienic cleaning. It is important for parents to make it a rule to visit the doctor twice a year. And if there are problems with teeth, then more often - once every three months. This is largely due to the fact that various pathologies develop too quickly in childhood. Meanwhile, early diagnosis will lead to quick, painless and relatively inexpensive treatment of caries.
As you can see, in most cases, when caries can attack children's teeth, parents are able to rebuff it decisively. Of course, there is no escape from genetic predisposition. But it’s not without reason that dental experts say that sweets are the main cause of the development of the disease! So isn’t it better to eliminate the constant source of bacteria and, instead of harmful carbohydrates, offer the child fruits, which are much healthier, after the main meal? Ultimately, your child will thank you in the future for being vigilant and maintaining healthy teeth!
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Dzedzits Olga Alekseevna
Surgeon, Therapist, Pediatric dentist, Hygienist
Why does a filled tooth suddenly turn pink?
If dental treatment was successful, but the healed tooth hurts, this does not indicate any problems, but gives reason to consult a dentist. If the filled tooth turns pink, this may be the result of the fact that the paste contained resorcinol and formaldehyde. But most often the change signals pulpitis, periodontitis, traumatic injury or rupture of a vessel in the pulp.
If a tooth turns red, you should immediately contact your dentist to get a diagnosis. A potential infection should not be left unattended; it is important to ask what treatment options are available and make an informed decision.
How to identify milk caries?
It is quite simple to identify caries in young and older children. White or brown spots appear on the teeth, a painful reaction to hot and cold is observed, and the child may develop bad breath. When these first symptoms of caries appear, it is already worth sounding the alarm, since the carious process is developing very rapidly. It is characterized by almost instantaneous damage to several teeth, and if measures are not taken, the entire dentition may be affected. Of course, it is often difficult for a child to articulate that his baby tooth hurts. He may refuse to eat or chew on only one side. This should also alert parents and encourage them to take their child to pediatric dentistry.
If the filling interferes after treatment
Even in the doctor’s office, after installing the filling, be sure to make sure that the restored tooth is not in the way (move your jaw back and forth, sideways, carefully close your teeth). The filling should not be felt or change the bite. Don’t be shy about talking to your doctor about any discomfort—sometimes the final stage of filling treatment can take even longer than removing cavities and applying filling material.
After treatment, anesthesia wears off within 1.5-2 hours. If a conductor type was used, then after 4-6 hours. Now you are beginning to fully feel the treated tooth, you can fully close your jaws and understand how comfortable you are after filling.
If you experience slight discomfort, it feels like the tooth is a little larger and your jaws aren't closing quite tightly—this is normal. The fact is that now you have been given a new filling in accordance with the bite, that is, with the shape and position of the tooth located on the opposite side. The treated tooth became taller than before - after all, there was caries and the old filling sagged. Therefore, if there is no sharp pain and obvious rejection, be patient for a few days. If the situation normalizes and you get used to it, then there is no reason to see a doctor. If discomfort persists for 1-2 weeks, you should visit your dentist to have the filling corrected.
Is it necessary to follow a diet after caries treatment?
From the diet as a whole after caries treatment (especially if a large filling is installed and your own tooth has very thin walls), it is recommended to remove too hard foods - toffees, chewing gum, grilled fruit, nuts, etc. Or chew them with teeth located on the opposite side (if they do not have fillings).
Minimize the amount of consumed foods and drinks that contain coloring pigments (tea, coffee, beets) - under their influence, the filling material may slightly change its shade. This rule is especially relevant when restoring front teeth.
Experts' opinion
The effectiveness of the ASEPTA series products has been proven by multiple clinical trials conducted in the country's leading research institutes.
For example, a study of the clinical effectiveness of treatment and prophylactic agents from the Asepta line in the treatment of inflammatory periodontal diseases, conducted by A.I. Grudyanov, I.Yu. Alexandrovskaya, V.Yu. Korzunina in the Department of Periodontology of the Central Research Institute of Dentistry and Maxillofacial Surgery of Rosmedtekhnologii, Moscow, made it possible to identify the fairly high effectiveness of the Asepta gum balm and the Asepta mouth rinse for moderate periodontitis. The use of Asepta mouth rinse for inflammation also turned out to be quite effective. In addition, no phenomena of mucosal irritation or brown staining of fillings were recorded. This indicates that the use of this rinse for a two-week period provides an obvious clinical effect in the absence of negative side effects.
