Greetings! Today we shall be briefing a little bit about fluorisis. You might have heard the word from a friend, read it from an article, or simply picked it up from somewhere.

What is fluorisis

First of all, it is normal to think that this is a disease when it is actually just a condition that affects the appearance of the teeth.

Fluorisis only happens at an early age, when the teeth have yet to erupt. When too much fluoride is consumed as a young child, the tooth enamel will appear with irregular shapes and present a degree of discoloration. This is due the fluoride disrupting the enamel growth and composition. As a result, the teeth suffer from hypomineralisation, and are porous and hypocalcified.

It is worth mentioning that once the teeth have erupted, they cannot be affected by fluorisis.

Effects it has on your health

If you are worried about how fluorisis can affect your or somebody’s life, then you can feel at ease! Fluorisis only causes some stains in the teeth as well as slight change in the enamel composition. And it is really just that!

Having fluorisis is only a cosmetic issue. It is not a disease that results in cavities or anything like that. Also, it does not affect how you speak, eat or anything else.

Nowadays, there are some treatments you can seek  in order to mask it and make it much less noticeable. You are free to ask us if you are interested in getting treatment with dentists in Los Algodones! At only 7 miles from Yuma, AZ, you get the best dentists and prices compared to the States and Canada.

How to tell if you have fluorisis 

Since it is as a child that you develop fluorisis, it is normal for the dentist to ask a couple of questions. And there is a lot to consider from a dentist point of view, since what could look like fluorisis may easily be something else. They will usually ask about past and present medical conditions and/or disabilities and take an X-ray.

If it is indeed a case of fluorisis, then they can be grouped up in two:

• Slight and mild cases. These are the cases where the degree of fluorisis present in one’s teeth is pretty little. Most of the time it is really difficult to spot unless by a professional. If the patient thinks they are not an issue to the appearance to their teeth, then nothing needs to be done!

• Moderate and severe cases. This is where the appearance of fluorisis is very noticeable, most of the time through white or brown spots. As such, some procedures can be taken into consideration in order to hide the stains. Teeth whitening, bonding, veneers and crowns are the most popular treatments to seek for fluorisis.

Prevention

The major causes of fluorisis are fluoridated drinking water, fluoride supplements, toothpastes and mouthwashes with fluoride, and food containing fluoride. And fluoride is good, we are not saying to avoid it! It is just important that you do not overload your child with fluoride as they are developing their teeth.

As such there are a few things you want to watch out:

• If the child is six years old or less, we encourage to use only a very small amount of toothpaste. About a pea size, to be precise! The fluoride contents are good for the teeth that have erupted.
• Encourage your kid to spit the toothpaste out once they are done brushing instead of swallowing. You can avoid getting toothpastes with flavors to make this easier to accomplish.
• Make sure that they are ingesting the right amount of fluoride, and not more. If your water supplies contain fluoride, then it is not necessary for them to take any fluoride supplements.
• There are many fruits and drinks that provide some fluoride. Even bottled water may contain some.
• Ask your dentist, they are able to monitor what the child’s intake of it should be.