The Occurrence of Mottled Enamel in Iowa

Mottled enamel is a peculiar condition of the teeth. The teeth become chalky white in appearance and lack the lustre and translucency observed in the enamel of normal teeth. They are generally stained in an irregular manner and the dark brown stain supposedly accumulates between the enamel rods. However, some individuals have severe mottling of the enamel with little or no stain. We do not know the nature of the substance responsible for the stain. The teeth become soft and the dentist experiences difficulty with the teeth retaining fillings. It is not known for certain if mottled teeth decay more readily than normal teeth, but some dentists assert that when dental caries starts in mottled teeth it is difficult to control the process