Does iron drop cause dental caries in children?

doi:10.15406/jdhodt.2018.09.00402

Journal of

eISSN: 2373-4345

Dental Health, Oral Disorders & Therapy

Opinion Volume 9 Issue 4

Does iron drop cause dental caries in children?

Mohammad Karimi

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Internal Auditor & Documentations at Apple Dental Clinic, Iran

Correspondence: Mohammad Karimi, Internal Auditor & Documentations at Apple Dental Clinic, Iran

Received: July 30, 2018 | Published: August 17, 2018

Citation: Karimi M. Does iron drop cause dental caries in children? J Dent Health Oral Disord Ther. 2018;9(4):300. DOI: 10.15406/jdhodt.2018.09.00402

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Opinion

Some parents regrettably believe that iron drops can cause caries in their child's teeth, and may stop using this vital ingredient. While there is no scientific reason why iron drops can cause tooth decay, it may even prevent caries in some cases. If the teeth are healthy, iron drops can cause a temporary change in color, which at the end of 2 years and with the discontinuation of the iron drop, this color disappears or remains very pale, which is not worrying. But in children who have a lot of caries due to their low oral hygiene and high sugar consumption, an iron drop can enter the porous area and cause black discoloration in the teeth. In fact, in these children, the drop of iron helps to see caries that the parents have not seen until then.

The only factor that can lead to tooth decay is a coloration which is created by some iron compounds on the tooth. The accumulation of this color on the tooth, especially on the anterior maxillary teeth, roughs the surface of the tooth. This roughness and coarseness can be a good place for the accumulation of microbial plaque on the teeth and provide an appropriate field for producing dental caries, especially in the anterior maxillary teeth. Iron drops are not a decaying agent, but this drop can mark these teeth black that are decayed or started to decay due to enamel disorder.

To prevent the color of the teeth from changing, when using iron drops, a drop should be poured in the back of a child’s mouth and then help him to swallow it with some water. After that, the teeth should be carefully cleaned.
In cases where the child has a little tooth colored but not yet decolorized, we can use a very small amount of toothpaste and brush his teeth twice a day. It should be noted that the amount of toothpaste is negligible.

By doing this, not only the dark color and unpleasant appearance of the teeth will usually be disappeared and the teeth will change almost normal but also the health of the other teeth will also be maintained. Sometimes fluoride therapy is also required to prevent caries in children that the dentist may recommend for children after the age of 3. For this, fluoride therapy is required every 4 months.

Mothers should know that habit of baby's drinking milk at night can cause tooth decay, not Iron droplets. After 6 months of age, the nourishment habit of the night should be broken; and teeth should be cleaned after each drinking. The remarkable thing that mothers should notice is that is breast milk is not a sugar-free and the breast milk also causes tooth decay. On the other side, the dried milk has more sugar than the breast milk. The point that mothers must pay attention to is that after using the iron drop, the anterior teeth are more likely to change color and the rest remain white, so if the tooth decay is due to the drop of iron, all the teeth should have cavities, not a few anterior teeth.

As soon as the teeth of the child begin to erupt, they must be cleaned up by parents. Parents should begin to brush their children's teeth from about 6 months of age with wet sterilized gauze, or soft children’s toothbrushes without using any toothpaste. Parents should clean their children’s teeth from age of one to three years with a toothbrush without any toothpaste and should use a toothbrush with appropriate toothpaste for children from 3 to 6 years old. Ultimately, the child's oral hygiene is followed by baby toothbrushes that have a small head or toothbrush for infants. Despite the use of iron drops, the baby can have white teeth with a healthy body.
Children with decayed teeth should be checked for their dental health status and decay rate every 3 to 4 months. Children who do not have tooth decay should also be examined every six months by the dentist so that they can be treated promptly if decay is detected.