Why do my toddler's teeth look stained?

Jane Shaw


There are several reasons why your toddler's teeth may look stained:

Yellow or orange stains

These stains may be due to a build-up of plaque on your toddler’s teeth that has become stained with food debris. This usually happens when his teeth aren’t being cleaned thoroughly enough.

You can usually remove food stains by brushing your toddler’s teeth with a little bit of adult toothpaste. This will contain more cleaning power than children’s toothpaste.

Alternatively, you could try using a dab of bicarbonate of soda on your toddler's toothbrush with a little water. Have a drink ready in case he doesn’t like the taste, though.

If this doesn’t work, your dentist can remove the stains with a professional scrubbing.

These stains don't necessarily signal tooth decay. But letting plaque accumulate on your toddler's teeth can cause gum disease. Keep plaque at bay by cleaning your toddler’s teeth regularly with children's toothpaste.

White patches or mottled pale brown stains

These stains may mean that your toddler has fluorosis, which is caused by having too much fluoride in his mouth. This can happen if your toddler's toothpaste has too much fluoride, there's too much on his brush, or if he eats it straight from the tube.

You can prevent fluorosis by using a smear of low-fluoride toothpaste when brushing your toddler's teeth. Low-fluoride toothpastes contain about 1,000ppm (parts per million) of fluoride. Encourage him to spit out the toothpaste after brushing, though there’s no need to rinse his mouth with water.

Always keep toothpaste out of your toddler's reach.

Dark stains

If your toddler takes an iron supplement, it may cause dark stains to appear on his teeth. Once these stains have started to appear, they’re difficult to remove, even with professional scrubbing from your dentist.

While you may find the stains a bit unsightly, they won’t affect the health of your toddler’s teeth.

Dark stains can also occur if your toddler's teeth are knocked or damaged after a fall. The stains are on the inside of the teeth, and happen when the nerve and blood supply to the tooth dies.

This kind of stain isn’t harmful, but let your dentist know if it happens so that she can check the tooth anyway. The stain can't be removed, but rest assured that his adult teeth will grow in with a normal colour.

Learn more about caring for your toddler's teeth.

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