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
My dentist pointed it out from a very young age. He told me to brush my teeth BEFORE swimming because the chlorine sticks to the enamel to make the stain. But who has time for that. I switched to an electric toothbrush and it made a huge difference. Then in college when I started drinking a lot of soda/coffee i switched to supersmile toothpaste - or when I got cheap - arm and hammer - the baking soda really helps. I have definately noticed a stickiness in my mouth and teeth after swimming sometimes, so I often brush after swimming also, just because it is annoying.
But there's a difference between "brown stains" and "severe erosion."
I think this article from the "Academy of General Dentistry" is more on point:
www.agd.org/.../Default.asp
"Athlete swimmers, who often swim laps more than six hours a week, expose their teeth to large amounts of chemically treated water. Pool water contains chemical additives like antimicrobials, which give the water a higher pH than saliva, causing salivary proteins to break down quickly and form organic deposits on swimmer's teeth.
The result is swimmer's calculus, hard, brown tartar deposits that appear predominantly on the front teeth. 'It's a common cosmetic condition among swimmers,' says AGD spokesperson J. Frank Collins, DDS, MAGD. Swimmers who notice the stains should talk to their dentist and perhaps increase their dental visits to three or four times a year, advises Dr. Collins."
This is fascinating! In the 80's my dentist told me I had swimmer's calculus. No dentist I've been to since had ever heard of it. My teeth are horrible--for 2 months prior to my next cleaning, I barely want to open my mouth. then I learned that I should be brushing BEHIND my front teeth as the staining moves forward, as well as brushing 30 seconds on each quadrant. I also upgraded my electric toothbrush. Result: cut staining down by about 70%. Next cleaning in July!
There are two affects of pool water on teeth. The first is an abnormal pH affecting the teeth. The second is also pH related but occurs even in a well maintained pool. The pH of your saliva is different from the pool water causing the proteins to precipitate discoloring your teeth.
"Frequent swimmers may be at risk for developing yellowish-brown or dark brown stains on their teeth.
Those who swim more than six hours a week continually expose their teeth to chemically treated water. Pool water contains chemical additives such as anti-microbials, which give the water a higher pH than saliva. As a result, salivary proteins break down quickly and form organic deposits on swimmers' teeth.
The hard, brown deposits, known as "swimmers' calculus," appear most frequently on the front teeth. Incidence of brown tartar is as high as 58 percent in children who swim regularly in elementary through high school.
Brushing more often and more carefully hasn't been proven to help. In fact, overuse of tartar control toothpaste can cause irritation and inflammation of the gums. However, swimmers' calculus can normally be removed by a professional dental cleaning. Those who swim competitively should be sure to visit their dentist and hygienist regularly.
Courtesy of the Academy of General Dentistry (www.agd.org)"
