Do you ever wonder why teeth turn a permanent brownish color in some people? Dental fluorosis is a condition where the teeth change to brown in color or get mottled and is a result of excessive exposure to fluoride.

Fluoride can help to strengthen teeth, but over-exposure to this component can be very damaging. Understandably, the damage is not limited to teeth alone. The intake of high levels of fluoride affects the bone structure and density, which leads to skeletal defects and skeletal.

Now, let’s narrow our focus to dental fluorosis.

Dental fluorosis risk factors

Children exposed to high levels of fluoride during their first 8 years of life are naturally bound to struggle with dental fluorosis. The exposure can be through drinking or cooking water sourced from the local water sources such as boreholes or wells.

The effect of fluorosis begins during the first 6 weeks of pregnancy when the teeth and bones of the fetus are being formed and continues up to year eight when permanent teeth are being formed in the mouth.

Recommended safe levels by the World Health Organization (WHO) are 1.5 milligrammes of fluoride per a litre of water.

Detecting dental fluorosis

You can easily detect the emergence of dental fluorosis by observing the following:

• Tiny white markings on the teeth. This can easily be seen by a professional dentist during your routine dental visits
• Easily noticeable yellow to dark brown stains on the teeth
• Easy to spot surface irregularities or pits on the teeth
• Premature loss of teeth in children due to weakening

Other sources of excess fluoride

Over-exposure to fluoride is not limited to the water we drink or use at home alone. Ingestion of toothpaste, mouthwash, or the use of fluoride supplements can cause fluorosis. These dental products can be tempting for children because they are quite sweet in taste. We advise parents to monitor their children when brushing at home and ensure they spit out the used toothpaste.

Fluorosis treatment in Kenya

We live in a world where self-consciousness is a big thing. Dental fluorosis can badly hurt one’s self-esteem. This can result in poor school performance or inability to socialize among children. In adults, lack of confidence can result in personal struggles that hurt individual growth at work or in relationships.

To help avoid the negative effects of dental fluorosis, you can utilize any of the following teeth whitening treatment methods to get back a smile that does not hurt other spheres of life:

• Dental Masking
• Veneers
• Crowns

How to prevent dental fluorosis

• Be careful when drinking bottled water, pick those that indicate a safe level of fluoride.
• Drink distilled water.
• Install a water purifier in case your primary source of water is a borehole or a well.
• Visiting your dentist regularly. This can help detect dental fluorosis at an early age in children to give you room to take action before it is too late.

We invite you to any of our branches for a detailed consultation about dental fluorosis, available treatment options, and more about your oral health.