Fluorosis is a cosmetic term for how tooth enamel looks, not a cavity and not decay.

In kid words

"Those white marks on your tooth are just part of how it grew in, and they don't hurt at all." Some teeth have little marks like that and some don't, and both are perfectly normal. It's simply something your dentist likes to check during your regular visit, the same as counting your teeth.

The parent version

Fluorosis, or dental fluorosis, is a cosmetic change in how tooth enamel looks. It happens when a tooth gets more fluoride than usual during the years it is still forming under the gums, long before it ever erupts into the mouth. Once a tooth has come in, that appearance is already set.

Fluorosis usually looks like faint white marks, streaks or flecks scattered across the enamel, sometimes light enough to go unnoticed entirely. Mainstream dental sources describe it as usually a cosmetic matter rather than a health problem, and it does not change how a tooth works. What any specific mark means for your child's tooth is worth a conversation, so ask your pediatric dentist.

Where you might hear it at our office

Fluorosis is the kind of word that tends to come up during a routine cleaning and exam, when your pediatric dentist gets a close, well-lit look at your child's enamel. If a mark catches their eye, they will simply point it out and tell you what they are seeing, the same unhurried way they explain everything else at a checkup. It is not something to search for at home between visits. It is just worth a mention at your child's next checkup.

If another word from a visit is still a mystery, the rest of the dictionary is right here.

Related words

Words that often come up alongside fluorosis: enamel, fluoride, checkup.