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MIH in children and adolescents

Chalky teeth / MIH in Munich

Treatment and prophylaxis of chalky teeth at heyzahn in Obermenzing

Beware of chalky teeth: Everything you should know about them!

What exactly are chalky teeth?
In general, chalky teeth refer to a defect in the tooth enamel that makes the teeth particularly sensitive, especially to cold and heat. This often leads to limitations in chewing and brushing teeth. Both milk and permanent teeth can be affected. The permanent first molars or front teeth most commonly exhibit an MIH enamel defect.

How do chalky teeth develop?
In patients with chalky teeth, the formation of minerals and thus the strengthening of the tooth enamel is impaired. Normally, tooth enamel is the most resistant substance in a person's body! Chalky teeth have soft, brittle enamel and are therefore not resistant to caries. Compared to healthy teeth, the enamel of chalky teeth is only about ten percent of its usual hardness! Did you know that?

What causes chalky teeth?
The exact causes of this disorder during tooth development are still unclear. Researchers suspect that possible triggers for chalky teeth include plasticizers, illnesses in children during their first years of life, environmental toxins, and much more.

What symptoms indicate chalky teeth?
The symptoms of chalky teeth only appear after the teeth have erupted and cannot be detected by X-rays. This makes preventive treatment to prevent chalky teeth difficult. The following signs indicate chalky teeth:

  • yellow-brownish discoloration on the teeth
  • crumbling, porous tooth enamel
  • Pain when brushing teeth
  • Sensitivity to hot or cold food

How do we treat chalky teeth at heyzahn?
There is currently no “cure” for this enamel defect. Therefore, it is important to stop the disease progression early.

Regular appointments at our children's dental practice heyzahn in Pasing-Obermenzing are crucial. Depending on the severity of the disease, close check-ups should take place every three to four months. We tailor the treatment to your child individually and based on the condition of the teeth. The main aim is to prevent tooth decay, prevent loss of substance and thus avoid pain.

As a certified pediatric dentist, Dr. Anna Wechsler also has access to special filling materials that can develop a particularly good bond with the weak structure of the chalky teeth. Since the treatment can be very challenging, special training is necessary because the teeth are extremely sensitive to pain and normal anesthesia is often not enough. Therefore, we like to use laughing gas or, in some cases, anesthesia, depending on the severity of the condition.


The following preventive measures:

  • Intensive prophylaxis
  • Regular application of highly concentrated fluoride varnish to harden tooth enamel
  • Sealing of fissures (including with GC Fuji Triage)
  • Fillings or crowns if required

How to recognize chalky teeth in time and treat them:

If your child is diagnosed with chalky teeth, the problem depends on the severity. The teeth are porous and vulnerable. We can treat the symptoms step by step: first with fluoridation, then with fillings if there is caries and with crowns if there is massive loss of substance.

There are still no conclusive research results on the development of this enamel defect. It is therefore important to identify chalky teeth early and to carry out close prophylaxis. Although the enamel defect cannot be prevented, it can be easily controlled and the young patients remain largely pain-free. Careful fluoridation to harden the enamel contributes to oral health. Regular check-ups in conjunction with efficient home dental care also help to prevent the damage caused by MIH from progressing further.

Is your child’s oral hygiene important to you?
If you would like to make a quick appointment for the diagnosis or treatment of chalky teeth - even on weekends - or if you need further information about your first visit to heyzahn, you can contact us by phone at 089-9731-3969 or send us an email to info@heyzahn.de .

We are happy to answer any questions you may have about MIH in children!

Dr. Anna Wechsler & your pediatric dentist team from heyzahn Obermenzing Munich

heyzahn pediatric dentist
Dr. med. dent. Anna Wechsler
Ground floor
Verdistrasse 74, 81247 Munich
Obermenzing-Pasing
+49 89 97313969
info@heyzahn.de

heyzahn orthodontist
Dr. med. dent. Yvonne Ewen

Ground floor
Verdistrasse 74, 81247 Munich
Obermenzing-Pasing
+49 89 97313969
info@heyzahn.de

heylogo speech therapy
Franziska Jargon

2nd Floor
Verdistrasse 74, 81247 Munich
Obermenzing-Pasing
+4917657882284
info@heylogo.de