[Exogenous tooth discoloration in children: black stains]

Black-stains are a coloring frequently met in pediatric dentistry. They can be medically diagnosed as 1-mm borders or unfinished lines formed by a dark exogenous substance which follows the gingival festoon of bet coronary (in cervical third of the crown) temporary teeth and permanent, or they can appear in like points or dark spots. They are caused by bacteria anaerobic chromogenous. The dominant responsible species are actinomyces. Blacks-stains are ferrous depots, formed following a chemical interaction on the surface of the tooth between sulphide of hydrogen (under the effect of the anaerobic bacteria which are producing hydrogen) and the iron contained in the saliva (by a healthy diet) or that released by red blood corpuscles (in case of bloody gums). Black-stains are a shape of characteristic dental plaque by its flora with trend to calcify. It contains an insoluble iron salt with a content raised in calcium and in inorganic phosphor. The coloring Black-stain is a mild pathology and has no incidence on the vitality of the tooth. Certainly these spots are unsightly. The dental surgeon in current practice can deprive them. The pediatrician plays a leading role in the diagnosis and advice to parents and patients affected by these stains.