Question: What does it mean when a child has white spots or streaks on his permanent teeth that weren’t there before?
Answer: It means that the child is not properly brushing the enamel surface of the teeth. It could either be ignorance of brushing techniques or a toothbrush that is too soft. Or it could be lack of regular brushing per se. A thin, thick layer of plaque that has accumulated over the weeks and months on the surface of the tooth dissolves the enamel and it begins to turn white (demineralize).