I took my 8 year old to the dentist today for a check-up. One of our concerns was the brown discoloration on her two front teeth. The first question the dentist asked was "Is she a tea drinker?" (No). The second question stunned me, "Is she a swimmer?"
Apparently a few of his swim team patients over the years have experienced discoloration. It's not permanent (he was able to scrap her's off). He didn't explain the chemical reaction taking place.
I have never heard of this before, so I thought I'd put it up here. Have any of you had this experience either with yourselves or your kids? And can anyone explain what the chlorine/dental connection is or could be?
:coffee:
Former Member
Update - my dentist pal confirms tooth discoloration in adolescent swimmers but says it is "a surface stain that is easily polished off." He also had 4 year rounders.
Interesting! I never would've thought that!!
My father is a dentist and he says the ph of the pool causes staining. If the pool is too acidic then it causes your teeth to yellow. But it's a superficial stain so it should polish right off when you go for a cleaning.
If the pool is too acidic it can also mottle your teeth - the enamel can get hypocalcified and it can change the surface of your teeth. Bottom line, a little yellowing from the pool is ok, but if you are getting major stains or mottling, talk to the pool manager because the ph is out of balance.
That could explain my lack of enamel as an adult now. I have almost none left now.
We have totally heard this from our dentist. He works with a couple of swimming families and each of our kids have had discoloration and the dentist has said chlorine is the culprit. Given all of the other health benefits of chlorine, I have chosen to keep my kids in the pool.
My father is a dentist and he says the ph of the pool causes staining. If the pool is too acidic then it causes your teeth to yellow. But it's a superficial stain so it should polish right off when you go for a cleaning.
If the pool is too acidic it can also mottle your teeth - the enamel can get hypocalcified and it can change the surface of your teeth. Bottom line, a little yellowing from the pool is ok, but if you are getting major stains or mottling, talk to the pool manager because the ph is out of balance.
I've been swimming since I was 8 and I've had these embarassing stains since. Due to lack of insurance I have never been to a dentist other than a couple of times. Do you think these stains are mottled- or maybe can be easily scraped off?
My sister is a dentist and found research from about 10 years ago confirming this. She always wondered about my teeth staining before I ever started drinking coffee/tea.
I get brown stains in between my two front teeth, and I had also come to the conclusion that it was from swimming, at the suggestion of my dental hygienist. I don't drink coffee or soda, and only very rarely do I drink tea. The hygienist scrapes the brown stains off at every visit. I wonder if brushing one's teeth right afterward would help?
Another article, this time from the CDC:
www.cdc.gov/.../00000109.htm
I was a member of the "gas-chlorinated public pool in New Jersey" and I recall that the NYC news station stopped by to do a story on kids losing tooth enamel from the pool.
My brother and I were members of the pool's swim team and were probably at the facility from 9 am - 5 pm 7 days/week all summer. Our tooth enamel was just fine.
Gotta throw a quick 2 cents reply in here; I've been swimming 2+ years and definitely have noticed a slight discoloration to me teeth, only in between them, and mostly on the insides fortunately. It does not brush off, floss off, etc. and at my last cleaning the dentist pointed it out and also said it was not coming off - I did not link it to swimming/chlorine back then. Very likely from the pool water.............
