One in six children is affected by 'chalky teeth,' a dental condition that makes kids susceptible to losing their adult molars paving the way for expensive orthodontic treatment, an Australian research warns.
"Parents think they've done everything right for their child's teeth - good hygiene, fluoride and diet. Then they take them to the dentist and amongst a mouthful of healthy teeth are a few bad ones. They want to know what's gone wrong." said David Manton, Professor of Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Melbourne.
The dental experts identify 'chalky teeth' as decalcified teeth. They said that poor dental hygiene, diet and lifestyle do not lead to the condtion and parents need to take extra care of their children's molars.
Chalky teeth can be identified if children have brown or extra white spots on their molars. If not treated on time it can decay the tooth resulting in its removal. The doctors say that the condition does not have any proper cure at present but timely treatment can help prevent surgeries.
"The commonest sign is creamy-brown or extra-white spots on your child's teeth. You may see them on their baby teeth, and that could be a sign of trouble later when the adult molars come through, which are the teeth most at risk," Manton added according to Medical Xpress. "The condition results in teeth that have abnormally low amounts of calcium mineral. So even in mildly affected teeth you can see some extra-white patches - that's a key sign."
A website, theD3group, has been launched to further inform parents about chalky teeth. The group is a research network that concentrates on developmental dental defects and studies links between chalky teeth and childhood illness.
