“ Mummy, why do I have yellow teeth?” 8 year old Ruth asked as she looked up at her mother for an answer, a puzzled look on her chubby face.
Mrs Alo sighed, thinking of a way to explain to her daughter that she had used tetracycline when she took ill while pregnant for her. Mrs Alo herself had expressed same concern to her dentists a couple of months before, and it was discovered that the antibiotic tetracycline was the cause.
Everyone likes to have white teeth, and discoloured , stained or “yellow” teeth can be a real source of concern and low self-esteem. However, those concerns are not too small to share with your dentist.
BUT WHAT COULD BE THE CAUSE OF STAINED TEEETH?
- Tobacco products
- Certain food pigments, and beverages such as coffee and tea
- Certain mouthrinses such as chlorhexidine mouthrinse
- Bacteria
- Industrial exposure to metals
- Use of tetracycline by mothers during pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Abnormalities of tooth development
- Excessive fluoride intake
- Hemolytic disease in newborns
Whatever the case may be, your dentist is your friend.
Speak to your dentist!
