What Causes Kids' Teeth To Come In Yellow Or Green?

Your child's teeth may come in yellow or green for a variety of reasons. Yellowish teeth may or may not be cause for concern, but green teeth will need attention from your dentist. Antibiotic use, health conditions and exposure to metals can all lead to green or yellow tooth staining. If your child's teeth appear discolored, consult a dental professional.

Normal Growth

Your child's adult teeth may appear darker, or more yellow, than his primary teeth, according to the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. In fact, primary or "baby" teeth sometimes are called "milk teeth" because they are whiter in color than adult teeth, notes Alan Gunn in his book, "Essential Forensic Biology." Primary teeth also are smaller than adult teeth.

Tetracycline

Tetracycline-based antibiotics may greatly disfigure your child's teeth if administered before the age of 10, says dentist Mark Burhenne of Sunnyvale, California. In most cases, this shows up as yellow staining and banding on your child's teeth. Such teeth cannot just be whitened, says Burhenne. Instead, they must be completely covered with crowns to cover the staining. In rare cases, such antibiotics will change the structural composition and shape of your child's teeth. Tetracycline can discolor both baby and permanent teeth, notes J.N. Swallow, lead author for a study published in Archives of Disease in Childhood. The study focused on children who have cystic fibrosis and were administered this antibiotic.

Cystic Fibrosis

If your child has cystic fibrosis she may have tooth staining even when tetracycline is not administered, says C.K. Arquitt, lead author for a study published in the Journal of Dental Research. The disease is caused by mutations of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator protein gene, which is believed to play a role in tooth enamel formation and mineralization. Iron and potassium may be increased and calcium decreased as a result of the disease, regardless of tetracycline use, Arquitt notes. The defective gene in cystic fibrosis also causes the body to create unusually thick and sticky mucous that clogs lungs and obstructs the pancreas, halting movement of enzymes to the intestines that are needed for breakdown and absorption of food.

Metal Exposure

A green stain on your child's teeth can be caused by exposure to some metals such as nickel or copper, says dentist Dan Peterson of Gering, Nebraska. Such stains can even be absorbed into dental plaque via inhaling fumes from metallic salts. Such discoloration can vary from green to bluish-green to brown, depending on which metal your child is exposed to. Green stains also may be caused by decomposed hemoglobin, which is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen, and inorganic elements such as potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, silicon and phosphorous, Peterson says. This type of stain often overlies demineralized dental enamel. Demineralization is most often caused by bacteria and plaque buildup, according to the Children's Dentist Directory. Such an accumulation leads to a shift in pH balance that causes a loss of phosphate and calcium.