Why do two-year-olds have yellow teeth?

Children are the treasure of their parents' life. Caring for children is better than caring for yourself. As we all know, children are in the period of growing teeth when they are one or two years old. The teeth that grow at this time should be very white. Because they are newly grown teeth, they should not be yellow. However, some children have yellow teeth when they are two years old. Why is this? Let’s discuss why two-year-old children have yellow teeth.

There are generally two situations when babies' teeth turn yellow: one is that the surface of the teeth is stained by foreign substances, which is called tooth staining; the other is the discoloration of the inside of the teeth caused by certain substances, which is called tooth discoloration. The former is the color change that occurs on the surface of the tooth, and the latter is the color change of the entire tooth body formed inside the tooth. Usually, yellowing of teeth is due to poor oral hygiene or bad habits. For example: food residues adhere to the surface of teeth, not cleaned in time, taking certain pigmented medicines, foods or drinks, etc. As long as you pay attention to cleaning your mouth and brush your teeth carefully, you can prevent it. Yellowing of teeth caused by tooth discoloration is difficult to remove.

The most common tooth discolorations are tetracycline and dental fluorosis (dental fluorosis or yellowing). Tetracycline teeth are permanent, but tetracycline is no longer used now. Fluoride on teeth is caused by excessive intake of fluoride, which can damage the developing tooth germs and cause fluorosis and discoloration. However, fluoride in the mother's body is not easy to enter the baby's body with breast milk, so fluorosis on teeth is relatively rare during the deciduous teeth period. If you have not used tetracycline during pregnancy and breastfeeding, then your child's yellow teeth are likely to be stained teeth. You can help him brush his teeth, eat less sweets and do not drink colored beverages, and develop good habits such as rinsing his mouth promptly after meals. Gradually remove the discoloration of baby's teeth. Generally speaking, it can be divided into two aspects, namely endogenous and exogenous. Exogenous staining is caused by the presence of various bacteria on the surface of teeth. They secrete many sticky substances. Certain minerals in daily drinking water are adsorbed on these sticky substances, gradually turning the teeth yellow or black. Endogenous coloration is formed during the development of teeth. For example, if tetracycline is deposited in the dentin, the teeth will turn yellow, brown or dark gray, which is called tetracycline teeth. If there is too much fluoride in the drinking water, it may also cause fluorosis, and the tooth surface will appear as white chalk or brown patches.

Above we discussed why two-year-old children have yellow teeth. A two-year-old child's teeth should be very pink and tender, but they have yellow teeth. This is undoubtedly due to a lack of nutrition. Children are the apple of their parents' eyes, so parents should always pay attention to their children's health. Minor problems like this should be resolved early to avoid accumulation and affecting the children's future development. Therefore, we should care for our children and pay attention to their health.