Does iron cause tooth decay or blackening of the teeth and tongue?

Your smile is the least you can give your friends and acquaintances as a gift at the first moment of meeting. A beautiful smile is not possible except with healthy and tidy teeth. Have you ever encountered people whose tooth stains make you feel uncomfortable at first glance? Some people attribute the cause of stains and tooth decay to taking a variety of iron tablets. Is this thinking correct? How true is iron blackening of the teeth or blackening of the tongue with iron? Can only iron drops blacken children’s teeth, or can iron tablets cause the same in adults?

The effect of iron drops on baby tooth decay

If we want to use iron supplements for the baby, we have to go for syrup or drops because it is obvious that it is not possible for the baby to swallow the pill. Iron drops are usually reddish brown in color and stain the baby’s teeth, causing a dark spot on the teeth and sometimes a gum line. This type of tooth discoloration may occur immediately after eating iron drops or may be seen on the teeth over time.

With the blackening and discoloration of the baby or child’s teeth, most parents think that their teeth are decaying, while the effect of iron drops on baby tooth decay is completely unscientific and unproven, and the discoloration on their teeth does not indicate decay. It can only be said that the compounds in iron drops are such that they create dark spots on the teeth. If you are looking for iron drops for children without blackening teeth, click on the link provided.

From the beginning of 7 months to the end of 1 year, infants need 11 mg of iron daily, which according to the doctor’s instructions, part of this need can be met by consuming iron drops. Iron deficiency directly affects a child’s brain and physical development. Pallor, fatigue, poor appetite, recurrent infections, very slow growth, and cold hands and feet are symptoms of iron deficiency in children.

Teeth blackening with iron in adults

The liquid form of iron supplementation, ie syrup and drops, may cause discoloration of the teeth and cause brown spots, which are sometimes very nasty. In fact, high concentrations of iron may cause this problem. But most adults usually take iron supplements in pill form. Could iron tablets also cause blackening of the teeth? In some cases, even iron supplements in pill form can cause blemishes. If people taking iron pills chew the pill or keep it in their mouth for a long time; If the coating on the tablet, which is often based on sugar, dissolves, they may stain their teeth. Otherwise, blackening of the teeth with iron in the form of tablets will not happen.

But if adults take iron supplements in the form of drops or syrups for any reason, they may have black teeth like children. Especially if they do not drink water or juice after that or do not rinse their mouths.

Prevent blackening of teeth due to iron consumption

We said that iron blackening of teeth occurs more by consuming its liquid form. Liquid form is also often given to children. In the following sections, we will explain about blackening of the tongue with iron, but here are some solutions to prevent staining of teeth with iron supplementation:

• Dilute the iron drop with some water and then use.
• If you are giving drops to a baby and citrus is allowed for his age, add iron drops to orange juice to increase iron absorption with vitamin C in oranges.
• If you have diluted the iron drop with water, you can eat it with a straw or give it to the child so that the supplement does not come into direct contact with the front teeth.
• Place the iron drop in the back of the mouth so that the drop does not hit the front teeth.
• After taking iron drops or syrup, be sure to drink water or clean the teeth with a damp cloth or cotton.
• Brush in liquid form after taking an iron supplement, or if you have given it to a child, brush their teeth with a finger toothbrush.

Does iron supplementation cause tooth decay?

As mentioned in the previous sections, liquid iron supplementation can cause blackening of the teeth but will not lead to caries. In fact, discoloration of the teeth and blackening of the teeth with iron is not a sign of caries, and in many cases for adults, it will be removed by a simple scaling by the dentist. If your child’s teeth are blackened by iron drops, baking soda can be used to remove stains. But if the opacity and extent of these spots are too great, the teeth must be scaled by a dentist.

Blackening of the tongue with iron

Iron supplements in pill form will never cause blackening of the tongue. But in some cases, mothers who give their children iron drops raise the issue of blackening their tongues. Blackening of children’s tongues may be caused by eating colored snacks as well as iron drops. This change in the color of the tongue is often temporary and disappears after a few hours. In fact, the contact of iron drops with the tongue may slightly remove the villi on the tongue and darken the color of the tongue.

Other causes of blackening of the tongue

The language of hundreds of small bumps called Tongue papilla Is covered. When dead skin cells begin to accumulate on the tongue, the papillae appear stained. You may see your tongue darken for the following reasons:

• Poor oral hygiene and not brushing
• Eat hard foods that scratch the tongue
• Not producing enough saliva in the body
• Side effects of some medications that cause dry tongue

Other causes of tooth blackening

Tooth discoloration and browning can occur for the following reasons:

• Continued use of cigarettes and tobacco
• Consume beverages such as tea, coffee and alcoholic beverages
• Fruits such as blueberries, blackberries and pomegranates
• Untreated tooth decay
• Plaque builds up on the teeth

Conclusion

Teeth blackening with iron occurs only if the iron supplement is in liquid form, ie drops and syrup. Iron tablets can cause blackening of the teeth if they are either chewed or kept in the mouth for a long time. But discoloration of the teeth with iron supplementation is not a sign of tooth decay. Iron blackening of the tongue may also be temporarily caused by iron drops, which will go away after a while, but iron tablets do not blacken the teeth.