13 month old with flaking enamel on two teeth? What is it? What to do?

[Springshowers]

I'm freaking out and will make an appointment this week with our dentist. I had noticed in the last week two of my daughters teeth looked strange (sort of yellow). They looked normal before.

I finally got in her mouth and had a good look, and much of the white enamel on the two teeth on each side of her top two teeth seems to have flaked off leaving a very rough material underneath. I'm not 100% sure but I think it's on the back too.

What is this and what kind of treatment can I expect?

They are not cavitied yet, but I think being so exposed would be at such high risk.

Help! Any ideas?

[su.wei]

I am going through this with my 15 month DD right now. The dentist she originally saw said it is the start of Early Childhood Caries. He referred us to a Ped Dentist (who we have yet to see). I don't have much more information than that, but I recommend reading some of the threads here on Tooth decay and ECC.  

Personally, we have started using a TINY TINY TINY amount of flouride toothpaste (childrens) 2x's a day. We brush with water after she eats, and also use xylitol wipes. I am now looking into ordering MI-paste as well. 

[Brytzi]

First question is are you of Swedish descent? 1 in 700 swedes have Amelogenesis imperfecta. 1 in 14000 Americans.

Amelogenesis imperfecta is a tooth development disorder in which the teeth are covered with thin, abnormally formed enamel.

The enamel of the tooth is soft and thin. The teeth appear yellow and are easily damaged. Acidic foods like oranges, tomatoes, and pineapple dissolve the enamel. Also soda, which has phosphoric acid. Both baby teeth and permanent teeth are affected. The enamel is easily fractured and damaged, which affects the appearance of the teeth, especially if left untreated.

The treatment depends on the severity of the problem. Sealants are a good preventative measure. White dental varnish is another layer of protection for the tooth and helps restore natural color. Both the front and the back of teeth are affected. Full crowns will improve the appearance of the teeth and protect them from damage.

Amelogenesis imperfecta is passed down through families as a dominant trait. That means you only need to get the abnormal gene from one parent in order for you to get the disease.

My experience has been dentists don't diagnose this and thus proper treatment is delayed. Good luck. Hope this helps.

[andrewk]

@Brytzi - Fascinating piece of information, especially given that my wife's parents are Swedish. Do you have a source for that? I searched for it online but could only find it on Wikipedia, which had a number of references, but didn't make it clear which one talked specifically about the Swedish link.