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What is Decalcification of the Teeth?

Tooth decalcification as the name implies is loss of calcium from the tooth. It can be readily seen in the picture (right) as a white spotty coating on the outside of the tooth. The picture shows advanced decalcification. The teeth are often yelow looking as the enamel is lost and the underlying tooth structure is exposed.

Although the decalcification looks unsightly, the chief problem is the loss of calcium from the teeth, which will result in more severe dental health problems if not corrected. Dentists will sometimes drill them away - but this totally ignores the underlying reason of what caused the deposits in the first place.

Tooth decalcification is often caused by the excessive build up of plaque on the tooth enamel. It's often seen in people who've had braces. Basically you are loosing calcium from the teeth. The way to bring it back is to re-mineralize the teeth through diet. For details on the re-mineralization process click here.

It's best to seek treatment for this, rather than just ignoring it, or having a cosmetic treatment to deal with white spots. If the minerals are obviously leeching out of your tooth to such an extent, youu teeth are giving you a not so subtle hint that you have fundamental dietary imbalance going on, and that you are not absorbing enough trace minerals from your saliva.
Tooth decalcification can sometimes be confused with fluorosis, which is a condition caused by over exposure to fluoride. With Fluorosis the effect is mottled.

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