Not long ago, my 20 month old son took quite a fall and injured his four front teeth. Shortly after, I noticed that these same teeth began to lose their enamel and turn to a funny shade of green. My child’s health is very important to me, so I make sure he eats healthy and takes a children’s multi-vitamin daily. I‘ve even avoided giving him a bottle or pacifier. I hate the thought of having his teeth pulled but I may not have a choice. What should I do?
– Stacy from Naperville
Stacy,
Before you make an assumption about your son’s teeth, my best advice I can give you is take your son to a pediatric dentist for a dental examination.
As children develop, their bodies become exposed to various types of environmental bacteria. While children’s immune systems naturally fight off germs, they can still occasionally be affected. Your son’s baby teeth may have been exposed to bacteria, which could be the cause of the green discoloration. This discoloration may naturally fade away in time, but it is best to find out what is causing it.
Providing good health and nutrition for your child is necessary, so I commend you for your good efforts. Here at Naperville Dental Specialists, we promote good health and nutrition as well by encouraging parents to bring their children in as soon as the baby teeth begin to appear. This will encourage a close relationship between your child, the dentists and staff.
If the trauma to your son’s teeth has damaged and severed the nerves, then these teeth may have to be removed. But if the teeth have not suffered damage it is best to leave them be, especially at the age of 20 months. Teeth play an important role in your child’s speech development.
Related information: read about baby bottle tooth decay.
