Worried about sons teeth

[JMum]

My son (9) has quite thick looking yellow what I assume is plaque on his top and bottom teeth and in between each tooth on the bottom row. He brushes twice a day with an electric toothbrush, has 6 month check ups and although eats sweets etc he doesn't eat them to excess. The dentist has told me in the past that it's just the natural colouring of his teeth but it looks so awful that I can't see how this is the case. His current check up was cancelled because of covid so he's probably 2 months overdue but how can his teeth get so yellow with daily brushing??

 

[Dr M]

Good day,

Do you have any pictures of his teeth? I would need to distinguish between plaque, which can be brushed away, or calculus, which will need to be removed with a scaler.

 

[honestdoc]

The erupting adult teeth will look more yellow compared to baby teeth due to the differences in mineral content. My kids' teeth are that way as the wife was similarly concerned. The only way to whiten is to bleach them. I don't recommend doing that at this time because the child is so young. Bleaching can cause the teeth to be more sensitive and can cause gum and cheek/lip irritation. I would wait until he is older and his teeth can withstand chemical changes (I don't plan on having my kids doing that at all).

 

[honestdoc]

Hi! I think your son's enamel is quite weaker or thinner since it is clear that he keeps his teeth clean. It cannot be plaque anyway. I suggest you work on his nutrition schedule like adding more calcium-rich food and watching on oral hygiene moe. These have worked for some kids and helped them improve with their enamel thickness. Teeth-whitening is not something for his age. Try it. I hope it gets better.

Sorry, although your response is good, enamel cannot be thickened or added. It can only be microscopically strengthened by Fluoride and remineralized by minerals in your saliva. Child's enamel when the adult teeth first erupts is very vulnerable to acid damage and hopefully have some Fluoride to protect it.

 

[Sonia Salamuri]

My son (9) has quite thick looking yellow what I assume is plaque on his top and bottom teeth and in between each tooth on the bottom row.

Electric brushes are a good option but sometimes the child needs some help to clean better on the cervical part of the tooth, that is, near the gingiva. Between each tooth, you could help him to use a floss (there are avaible in small sizes with colours for children), to take the plaque (or food) that is difficult to clean,even with the electric toothbrush. After the final rinsing, you can leave some toothpaste in your teeth to help the fluoride action on the enamel, so you can ask your dentist if it is wise to apply a really tiny amount of toothpaste in your child teeth for the same purpose.