What You Need to Know about Enamel Microabrasion

There are a lot of factors that cause discoloration of our teeth. Take coffee, colas, and cigarettes, for instance. Their ingredients contain chemicals that stain the teeth. In fact, even fluoride, an active ingredient in toothpaste, can cause mottling and produce a white or brown stain on the teeth. To eliminate these unwanted teeth stains, most patients undergo a procedure known as enamel microabrasion.

Enamel microabrasion is a procedure where the dentist pats a compound on the patient’s teeth to get rid of the discolorations or stains. The usual patients under this procedure are adults. So is it okay for children to undergo this type of procedure? Yes, says the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

Children and even infants can also have teeth discoloration. It could be due to an infection or trauma on their baby teeth. Sometimes even high fevers cause teeth discoloration. Large doses of fluoride, whether in their food, drink, or toothpaste, produce white or brown stains on children’s teeth. As a remedy, microabrasion is a safe procedure for kids. In fact, most dentists recommend this procedure as their first choice for discolored teeth treatment in kids.

However, the success of the procedure depends on the extent of the stain. For example, speckled teeth (i.e., white spots appear on the teeth) can be easily remedied with microabrasion. But there can be instances where the stains are persistent and can be difficult to remove completely. This is where other treatment options come in, but they can be more expensive compared to microabrasion.