Hypomineralisation (Molar Incisor Hypomineralisation) is a developmental condition which is also called ‘chalky teeth’.
What causes chalky teeth?
This issue generally affects teeth as they are forming in utero – during the last trimester of pregnancy and also the first four years of a child’s life.
This will render tooth enamel to appear yellow, brown, cream or white – with areas deficient in minerals appearing ‘chalky’ looking.
If Hypomineralisation is an issue in your child, you’ll start to see these issues while the enamel is being formed (during pregnancy or in the early years of life). The enamel will break down via bacteria and its acid waste (aka tooth decay).
If you have good oral hygiene this is less likely to occur, but chalky teeth can also occur naturally, resulting in what dentists call Hypomineralised teeth.
They’re more difficult to prevent and usually require a visit to the dentist so we can find and review the high risk areas.
Hypomineralisation can occur because of a fever, being prescribed certain antibiotics, or experiencing some trauma during infancy.
The front central incisors (middle teeth) and first molars (six year old molars) are most commonly affected due to their location in the mouth.
Hypomineralisation is more common just after birth as complications are more likely.
So, what does this issue mean for your child?
They’re dealing with a poorly formed, mineral deficient enamel layer prone to breakdown/tooth decay.
Secondly, the chalky appearance of the teeth doesn’t look the best – and this is quite hard to remove without drilling and preparation.
How to fix Hypomineralisation?
Finding and reviewing high risk, chalky areas on teeth will be done at regular dentist visits. If we’ve found out that you do have a problem and your tooth enamel is weakened we’ll be able to focus on maintaining effective oral hygiene, usually eradicating the issue.
If you are experiencing this issue or simply need to make a checkup please give the team at Walloon Dental a call on 07 3067 7990 or click here to make an online booking.
We will guide you through the details of what causes chalky teeth and how to fix it.