Your baby's health and wellness are important, so you may schedule consults and wellness checks with their pediatrician regularly. These checkups are essential for their health, but focusing on your baby's oral health is also important. If you notice your baby's teeth are discolored and stained, you may not think it is cause for concern. However, proper understanding is key, since your baby's teeth ARE very important even though they do fall out. This guide will help you understand the causes and solutions for discolored baby teeth.

Disorder

While rare, your baby's stained teeth may stem from an undiagnosed disorder known as hyperbilirubinemia. This condition is similar to jaundice, which causes a yellowish discoloration of the skin and eyes. Hyperbilirubinemia occurs because there is a buildup of bilirubin in the blood – it may affect child's skin, eyes and teeth.

Children with hyperbilirubinemia may have a yellow or even green hue to their teeth. It cannot be brushed away, unfortunately, since the underlying cause is a medical condition that will require a thorough diagnosis and treatment.

If you are seeing this yellow or green discoloration, consult your child's pediatrician to get started.

Excessive Fluoride

Fluoride can be beneficial for strengthening your baby's teeth. However, too much fluoride can discolor the teeth.

Dentists may suggest a fluoride treatment at some point to strengthen your baby's tooth enamel, but the combination of these treatments and the use of water that contains fluoride will result in discolored teeth. A common sign of excessive fluoride will not be actual yellowing, but white streaks that run across the teeth.

Insufficient Oral Hygiene

Again, many parents feel they do not have to brush their baby's teeth because they are not permanent. Unfortunately, improper or insufficient oral hygiene will lead to tooth discoloration, especially if your baby is taking in too much fluoride or drinking a lot of juice products.

Dentists recommend wiping a baby's teeth down with a clean gauze if you are unable to use an actual pediatric toothbrush. Once the teeth start erupting more clearly, use a soft-bristled pediatric toothbrush and toothpaste designed for your young child.

Also, schedule a routine exam and cleaning with your pediatric dental clinic to ensure the teeth are properly cleaned and free of food residue, bacteria, and tartar that can stain your baby's teeth.

Early intervention is key, so instill the importance of oral hygiene into your child. Starting early will ensure your child grows up to have healthy and appealing teeth.