How to deal with black baby teeth

Baby teeth are the first teeth that appear in a child’s life, and are normally pale white. Black, discolored, and dull baby teeth are quite common, causing many parents to worry. This is often a sign of tooth decay.

Baby teeth have sensory nerves, when the tooth decay will lead to toothache, tooth root infection... causing pain to the child, affecting eating, daily activities and health. If not treated early, it can affect permanent teeth, causing difficulty in growing or growing crookedly.

Causes of black baby teeth

Causes from tooth enamel

Children's teeth usually have a thin layer covering the outside. If the enamel is of poor quality (possibly inherited from parents) or the enamel does not develop well, the baby's baby teeth will be discolored and not bright white. Weak enamel also causes problems later on such as tooth decay and tooth clenching in children.

Due to unscientific eating habits

Children's tooth enamel is often very weak, but they like to eat sweet foods such as candy, cakes, carbonated soft drinks, foods high in sugar and starch... These foods will cause plaque to accumulate, bacteria will have the opportunity to grow, causing tooth enamel to be destroyed, baby teeth to decay, leading to blackening and loss of the bright white enamel layer.

Lack of essential vitamins and minerals

For children's teeth to grow strong and healthy, they need some essential vitamins and minerals such as calcium and vitamin D. Fluoride helps to create a protective layer on tooth enamel, and vitamin C helps prevent bacteria from growing in the teeth. If these essential substances are lacking, children's teeth will become discolored, weak, and vulnerable, and tooth decay and broken teeth will occur frequently.

Mother does not use antibiotics properly during pregnancy

Mothers who use Tetracycline antibiotics during pregnancy will discolor their baby's teeth after birth. Or if a child under 10 years old uses Tetracycline antibiotics, it will also discolor the entire set of teeth.

Improper oral hygiene

Many parents are busy and do not pay attention to taking care of and cleaning their children's teeth during the baby teeth stage, causing baby teeth to quickly turn black and discolored due to bacteria growing and creating plaque. Some tooth decay and other oral diseases can also appear if parents do not train their children to brush their teeth properly and regularly.

How to fix black baby teeth

When the child is young, use clean gauze and tongue scraper with saline to clean the teeth. When the child is older and has relatively full teeth, it is necessary to practice the habit of brushing teeth properly at least twice a day.

Build a scientific and reasonable diet, providing foods rich in fiber, fluoride, calcium, vitamins and minerals necessary for children's development, especially the development of baby teeth. Limit sweet foods, foods high in sugar and starch, and fast foods that make children's teeth susceptible to decay.

Children who have grown all their teeth from 5-6 years old should have regular check-ups every 6 months. If you see that the baby teeth are black, you should take your child to the doctor early to find the best treatment and prevention. In case of mild tooth decay, the doctor will clean the tooth and the decayed part, then fill it as usual. For teeth that have been severely decayed to the pulp, the pulp must be removed and the tooth restored by filling.

DentistHua Thi Thuy An