Defects in teeth of children

HOME > Tooth Enamel Defects

Does your child have "patchy" colored teeth - with very white, yellow or brown stains that don't come off with cleaning? Has the dentist said your teeth are "hypoplastic"?

About 50% of children will have one or more teeth with some form of development defect. This means that the defect occured when the tooth was being formed within the bone of the jaw.
These teeth are said to have Developmental Dental Defects.

It is important to know whether your child has developmental defects and to look after these teeth very carefully because they may not be as strong as they should be and are more susceptible to decay because of their poor structure*.
* Howeve a recent study found that children with enamel defects who had been diagnosed with Coeliac's disease had less dental decay and they suggested this was because they had a gluten free diet that had less exposure to decay causing food!
(Oral aspects in celiac disease children: clinical and dental enamel chemical evaluation - Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology Volume 119, Issue 6, June 2015, Pages 636–643)

An excellent web site is available for parents to learn more at The D3 Group http://www.thed3group.org

What do we know about developmental defects in teeth?

• These teeth may wear out quicker than normal teeth
• These teeth are more likely to decay
• Our preventative measures like fissure seals don't work as well with these teeth
• Over 91 genetic conditions lead to defects in teeth including Ceoliac diseases.

Revised: 23 April 2020