Unhealthy children's teeth due to mineral deficiency

Children's teeth threatened by mineral deficiency

04/21/2014

In many children, a particular form of the disorder of enamel leads to pain sensitivity and discoloration of the teeth. The reason for this is the disease unknown to many people: molar incisional hypomineralization (MIH). This disease contains fewer minerals in the teeth.

Disease mainly occurs in the posterior molars
In many children's teeth are already discolored and sensitive to heat and cold, although they have just broken through. Numerous children who have just received their second teeth and whose tooth growth is often not far advanced already suffer from the so-called molar incisional hypomineralization (MIH). „This is a special form of melt formation disorder“, said the dentist Ruth Santamaria of the pediatric dentistry of the Greifswald University Hospital according to press reports. As the name already suggests, the disease occurs mainly on the molars, the molars on the back. But also incisors (Incisivi) can be affected.

There are fewer minerals in the affected teeth
Professor Dietmar Oesterreich, vice-president of the Federal Chamber of Dentists (BZÄK) stated that there are fewer minerals in teeth with MIH than in healthy teeth. Thus, the calcium and phosphate concentrations are lower and appear porosities. This also causes tooth decay much faster and toothache does not last long. Even though MIH is rapidly diagnosed today when the affected molars break through in primary school children, a few years ago this was still different, as MIH was not diagnosed until recently in this form. The phenomenon was only bundled in 2001 under the term Molar incisor hypomineralization (means: mineral deficiency of the cheek and incisors), as Verena Knapp and Silke Marie Nies in the journal „Dentistry up2date“ write.

Around ten percent of children suffer from MIH
As Austria says, the oral health of children and adolescents today is very good. This was different years ago, so it was difficult for dentists to determine if the tooth was previously porous or whether it was normal caries. According to Santamaria, about ten percent of children suffer from MIH. Half of them suffer from the severe form associated with marked hypersensitivity or loss of substance of the teeth. In adults, an assessment of the distribution is more difficult, since the affected teeth were probably already restored, if MIH had been present. In this case, a diagnosis is no longer possible. It is also difficult to assess whether MIH is on the rise, as science has been increasingly concerned with the phenomenon in recent years. Even if it seems, Austria is still the question of whether this is a relative or absolute increase.

Cause of the disease remains unclear
So it does not seem possible to clarify whether there are actually more and more cases or whether the diagnosis is better today. However, the fact is that the regular preventive care now makes it possible to differentiate more strongly whether the teeth are porous or whether an originally healthy tooth has developed caries. However, it remains unclear why MIH arises and Austria also says: „Little is known about the cause.“ In this context, for example, problems during pregnancy are discussed, which interfere with the process of tooth development or a lack of oxygen at or after birth. In addition, according to Austria, there are also suspected events in infancy, such as infections with fever, the use of antibiotics and diseases of the respiratory tract and dioxin in breast milk. It may be a mix of different factors causing MIH.

Prevention remains difficult
As Santamaria explained, prevention remains difficult unless the cause is clearly established. Doctors use different methods of treatment. According to Santamaria, teeth are usually sealed when MIH is detected early. As reported by the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) last year, the health insurance funds for 6- to 17-year-olds are paying for the costs of this protection. In severe cases, fillings and crowns would also be used. And in very severe cases, the doctors would have to decide whether an affected tooth long-term worth preserving, as Austria explained. At least in the molars, a gap can usually close, if the tooth must be pulled. However, this is more difficult with the front teeth. (Sb)