HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

Get your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM BlogQuestions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction

What Causes Less Enamel In The Teeth?

Hi. My son had vomiting as a small child (not reflux). We were referred to a paediatrician. He was prescribed sandomigran for a while. He eventually had a barium meal to see if there was something wrong with his gut. He is now 13 and has grown out of all of this. Anyway both his baby teeth and now his adult teeth on his bottom right of his mouth have come through with very little enamel. Is this anything to do with the vomitting or the medication?
Wed, 4 Jun 2014
Report Abuse
Dentist 's  Response
Hello,
Enamel can be damaged by acid in the mouth. The stomach acid included in vomit with repeat episodes can easily damage the enamel on teeth. This would occur after the teeth are errupted and have been exposed to the acidic environment. This could then be the case with the baby teeth.
Now you state the adult teeth have weak enamel. This could be a genetic weakness. Nutrition and medication taken while the teeth are forming will affect the quality of the tooth structure. Baby teeth can be damaged if baby sleeps with a bottle with milk products coating teeth and causing decay. Flouride can be given with children's vitamins to strengthen the formation of the tooth while developing. As adults the addition of flouride is not recommended because teeth are already formed. Instead, topical flouride can help strengthen formed tooth enamel. Too much fluoride taken as a child can have the reverse effect of weakened enamel forming. Often white spots are seen and indicate too much fluoride. The antibiotic Tetracycline is known to darken the layer under enamel and cause grey to brown banding if taken while teeth are forming. No concern with this type of discoloration when taken as an adult.
The medication, Pizotifen, does not report any significant dental side affects concerning enamel. This is not available in the United States, so I am not familar with this drug for my patients. Drugs can have interactions and you can question your pediatrician with this concern. Can you tell me why as a child, this medication was recommended? Were migraine headaches determined to be the cause of his vomiting? I am glad to hear he is feeling better. Enamel is precious. Avoid an acidic diet and abrasive brushing techniques. Regular dental exams will check for enamel weakness as these areas will be more prone to decay. Rinsing with flouride may strenghten enamel. Restorative procedures maybe recommended such as bonding or crowns to replace damaged enamel. I hope my recommendations are helpful to you and I will be glad to provide additional answers if you have more concerns. Thank you for your inquiry.
I find this answer helpful

1 Doctor agrees with this answer


Note: Find out which dental treatment will work best for your teeth. Ask here.
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer. For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service [Sample answer]
Share on
 

Related questions you may be interested in


Recent questions on Migraine headache


Loading Online Doctors....
What Causes Less Enamel In The Teeth?

Hello, Enamel can be damaged by acid in the mouth. The stomach acid included in vomit with repeat episodes can easily damage the enamel on teeth. This would occur after the teeth are errupted and have been exposed to the acidic environment. This could then be the case with the baby teeth. Now you state the adult teeth have weak enamel. This could be a genetic weakness. Nutrition and medication taken while the teeth are forming will affect the quality of the tooth structure. Baby teeth can be damaged if baby sleeps with a bottle with milk products coating teeth and causing decay. Flouride can be given with children s vitamins to strengthen the formation of the tooth while developing. As adults the addition of flouride is not recommended because teeth are already formed. Instead, topical flouride can help strengthen formed tooth enamel. Too much fluoride taken as a child can have the reverse effect of weakened enamel forming. Often white spots are seen and indicate too much fluoride. The antibiotic Tetracycline is known to darken the layer under enamel and cause grey to brown banding if taken while teeth are forming. No concern with this type of discoloration when taken as an adult. The medication, Pizotifen, does not report any significant dental side affects concerning enamel. This is not available in the United States, so I am not familar with this drug for my patients. Drugs can have interactions and you can question your pediatrician with this concern. Can you tell me why as a child, this medication was recommended? Were migraine headaches determined to be the cause of his vomiting? I am glad to hear he is feeling better. Enamel is precious. Avoid an acidic diet and abrasive brushing techniques. Regular dental exams will check for enamel weakness as these areas will be more prone to decay. Rinsing with flouride may strenghten enamel. Restorative procedures maybe recommended such as bonding or crowns to replace damaged enamel. I hope my recommendations are helpful to you and I will be glad to provide additional answers if you have more concerns. Thank you for your inquiry.