Your child’s small, delicate, chalk-white baby teeth fall out. In their place grow yellowish-brown, fragile teeth – much to everyone’s surprise.

This is the dental condition molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH), a condition that is almost as common as tooth decay, though hardly known about outside of dentistry – and even then it can often be misdiagnosed.

The condition affects how certain adult teeth form in early childhood. It isn’t caused by lack of brushing, sugar or poor dental habits, but by something that disrupts the enamel formation before the teeth even erupt.

In our work at the teaching clinic at the University of Copenhagen dental hospital, we see many children and young people needing help for this condition.

It affects around 28% of children in Scandinavia and is one of the most widespread dental conditions. Studies show that it’s very common across Europe, while it appears to be less of an issue across Africa and Asia.

Researchers are still trying to figure out why this is the case, though it’s suspected to be largely due to differences in diagnosis and reporting, along with the prevalence of early childhood illnesses and genetic factors.

At the moment, MIH is still something of a puzzle for dentistry. We know it affects a significant number of children and can leave their adult teeth permanently weakened and discoloured.

But we don’t fully understand why some children develop it while others don’t. What is clear, though, is that it’s more common than many people realise.

Here’s what we know so far based on the current research.

What is MIH?

Enamel is the thin outer layer of our teeth and the hardest material in the body. But in children with MIH, the development of the tooth enamel has been disrupted, leaving it with fewer minerals.

This disruption occurs early in a child’s life, while the teeth are forming inside the jaw. Typically, this happens from around birth until about the age of two.

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As a result, the teeth look different and can break more easily.

Most often, the enamel on the first permanent molars, the so-called six-year molars, and the front teeth are affected.

As well as the visible signs, children may also avoid brushing their teeth because it hurts – and can find that cold and hot food or drinks cause tooth sensitivity.

Research points to five possible causes of MIH. This includes:

What can parents do?

First off, it’s important to know that, with the knowledge we have today, MIH itself cannot be prevented. So, as parents, there’s nothing you can actually do to stop the condition from occurring.

That said, there are things you can do to help. The most obvious one is tooth brushing and the use of fluoride toothpaste. This is extremely important because the tooth enamel is softer in young children, so the teeth are harder to keep clean and are at greater risk of cavities.

It’s also important to help your child develop a good relationship with the dentist. It helps to speak positively about what dentists do for teeth: namely, helping to protect them better so they do not hurt or break. It’s also important to tell your child that they should say where and how a tooth hurts, if it does.

What can the dentist do?

If your child does have MIH, the dentist will assess how extensive the condition is and classify the affected teeth as mild, moderate or severe.

Molars with mild MIH are treated with concentrated fluoride gel or sealed with a transparent plastic coating to help protect them from cavities, or both.

Molars with moderate MIH will receive temporary fillings and because the tooth is very sensitive, anaesthesia is needed.

Molars with severe MIH receive fillings and, in the most serious cases, a stainless steel crown. This is a kind of foil cap that protects the tooth from breaking and from cavities and pain.

In rare cases, the dentist may suggest removing the tooth altogether if its long-term prognosis is too poor. This typically happens between the ages of eight and ten.

Front teeth usually only have mild to moderate MIH and so are often not treated initially.

When children with MIH get a little older, they often ask for a more aesthetic treatment. This will typically involve whitening combined with a newer type of treatment in which a thin, fluid resin can be infiltrated into the enamel.

The resin will fill the empty spaces in the enamel structure and so the apparent discolouration will disappear, leaving a tooth with a normal, smooth crown colour.

In adulthood, severely affected molars may benefit from a crown or a porcelain inlay.

What now?

To really tackle this condition and its effect on children’s teeth, we first need a clearer picture of how widespread it actually is. That means stronger, more consistent studies — and a better agreement across the profession on how the condition is diagnosed and recorded.

At the same time, researchers are still working to answer some of the most basic questions: what are the key triggers? And why do some children develop it while others don’t?

In the long run, more research will not only improve treatment but also help prevent the condition from causing long-term dental problems, thus reducing the need for repeated, often difficult dental care in children (and adults).

This article was commissioned as part of a partnership between Videnskab.dk and The Conversation, where articles are also published in Danish.

Having played her first ever festival show at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound at the weekend (the perks of an already-famous name), Delevingne is back on home turf tonight for the second of two debut London shows. She might have switched up her medium, but the crowd that populates Waterloo’s pop-up railway arch venue 26 Leake Street have clearly been lured by her established credentials. In the blue-lit, smoke machine-blasted live room, a mix of quirky influencer types, a few excited young girls and a hefty whack of celebrity peers (Lola Young, Little Simz, Paris Paloma) all turn the space into a sort of off-grid London Fashion Week party, only with a louder soundtrack.

With referees under as much scrutiny as ever with a number of high profile incidents throughout the 2026 season, the performance of one official has been praised

Gabriel Bannigan hailed the performance of referee Paul Faloon after his side coasted to a nine-point victory over Roscommon in Clones on Saturday.

With referees under as much scrutiny as ever with a number of high profile incidents throughout the 2026 season, Paul Faloon drew praise from Bannigan for letting the game flow as much as possible.

Indeed, Jack McCarron’s free on 66 minutes was the first and only free scored in the entire game with just two yellow cards issued.

When asked if he preferred Faloon’s no-nonsense style, Bannigan replied: “100 per cent.

“This is Championship football. We’re all reared on Championship football.

“The players want the game to flow. I think Paul is an excellent referee. Paul will pull what has to be pulled, but he’s not going to be whistling every little thing and he’s consistent.

“He does the same for both teams. That’s what players want, that’s what management want, that’s what supporters want. So fair play to Paul.

“I didn’t know he (Jack McCarron) was the only one. Monaghan and Roscommon are two footballing teams. There’s not much need to blow the whistle too much.”

The Farney raced into a five-point lead playing with the wind with Stephen Mooney finding the net.

After becoming accustomed to chasing games, Monaghan were controlled and assured in possession as they closed the game out in ruthless fashion as a Roscommon fightback never materialised.

“Look, we targeted getting off to a better start than we did against Mayo,” added Bannigan.

“We were very disappointed with our first half performance against Mayo. I think we definitely brought a lot of the learnings from that game out there today, particularly the way we defended in the second half against the breeze, because that was the problem in our first half performance against Mayo the last day.

“We didn’t defend well against the breeze and Mayo kicked six two-pointers in the first half. “That gave us a mountain to climb in the second half, which we nearly climbed because of the character that we have in that dressing room and the quality we have in the team. But we were unlucky not to get over the line the last day.

“So we took that hurt out there today and we targeted a 70-minute performance. I was very happy we got a 70-minute performance.”

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Stewart Nicholson, Chief Fire Officer of the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, has been awarded the King’s Fire Service Medal.

The experienced firefighter, who has worked on both sides of the England/Scotland border, described the “great privilege” of receiving, “such a prestigious honour”.

Tyne & Wear’s Chief Fire Officer, Stewart Nicholson, awarded the King’s Fire Service Medal in the King’s Birthday Honours (Image: TWFRS)

Mr Nicholson said: “I will be accepting the King’s Fire Service Medal on behalf of my family and my fire and rescue service colleagues, whom I have been proud to serve alongside for more than 32 years.

Recognition for Stewart Nicholson’s 32 years as a firefighter and now senior fire officer (Image: TWFRS)

Read next … more emergency news from The Northern Echo, by clicking here

“My journey has taken me from serving as a firefighter in North and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Services to, three decades later, leading Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service as Chief Fire Officer, with senior leadership roles in Scotland along the way.

“The blue light community has provided me with an incredible platform to support people in need across communities in both England and Scotland.

“Through my work with the National Fire Chiefs Council, I hope to continue sharing my experience and help to inspire and support future generations of firefighters.”

A cordon was erected on Passfield Way, in Peterlee, on Saturday morning after a woman was found unresponsive.

Durham Police said sadly, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene but confirmed they are not treating the death as suspicious.

(Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

A force spokesperson said: “Police were called just before 7.05am on Saturday (June 13) following reports that a woman had been found unresponsive on Passfield Way, in Peterlee.

“Paramedics were also called, but sadly the woman, who is in her fifties, was pronounced dead at the scene.

 “Her death is not being treated as suspicious, and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”

(Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

Pictures show three police vehicles at the scene on Saturday morning . 

The three vehicles surrounded a blue tent, which was erected on the path.

Police taped off the area around the cars, as officers were seen standing beside the blue and white cordon. 

At the time, a North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) spokesperson said: “We were called to an incident on Passfield Way, Shotton shortly after 7am on 13 June.

“We dispatched a double crewed ambulance, a clinical team leader, a rapid response paramedic and a specialist paramedic.”

Emergency services have now left the scene.

It’s is hard to know where to start and where to end when talking about the Misfits boxing circus on Saturday night in Manchester.

There is an image of little Tommy Fury avoiding the lunges of Eddie Hall, with his 80 inch chest, and of Big Stacks, the “Hardest Man in Britain”, turning away after four rounds of body sparring, or perhaps the moment when the rapper, Jordan McCann, got hit for the first time and also turned away in utter confusion. Take your pick.

It was crude, ugly, shameful in parts, but addictive in all sorts of ways. A crowd of nearly 20,000 left throwing wild punches, laughing and vowing to return. Misfits, the business, knows its audience.

Fury’s real boxing experience was more than enough to beat Hall; it was rudimentary, but it was enough. The Stacks and McCann fights were ridiculous – it has to be said. It is not a criticism, just a fact: all four of the men in involved would have struggled to win a fight at the Haringey Box Cup, which took place over the same weekend.

Big Stacks is also known as Charlie Roberts and is perhaps best known as the self-proclaimed “Hardest Man in Britain”. Now, that is a serious title and Stacks, thankfully, has a sense of humour; I hope he does. His fight with Armz Korleone – the best name of the weekend – was nearly called off when McCann slapped Stacks at the press conference. The slap caused a cut, there were stitches, the doctors said “no fight”, a deal was done for the pair to hit each other to the body. It was dismal; Stacks, who claimed he was out all night, saved himself in the fourth. The rematch is coming soon.

McCann was fighting the viral sensation, Ibiza Final Boss (his real name is Jack Kay); you will know him as the man with the odd haircut, dancing to music at clubs in Ibiza. Honest, that’s his fame; McCann threatened violence all week and then was hit after a few seconds and his body stiffened; he was, for a moment, out on his feet. He showed guts to stick with it; he found out that rapping about fighting and fighting are two very different vehicles. At the end of a thousand swings and four rounds, the man with the pudding-bowl haircut and immaculate teeth got the nod. The crowd loved it.

In another fight, a boxer called Anthony Taylor dropped to his knees in frustration, claiming a substance had been rubbed into his eyes. It was dramatic and then he raced at his opponent and tried to rugby tackle about ten men. It was not the first and it will not be the last chaotic end to a Misfits fight. The crowd came for the skirmishes and they know that Taylor, a serial offender, often delivers a bit of anarchy.

When Misfits started in 2022, with KSI as one of the founding members, it had a fresh quality, an innocence in some ways. It was not a threat to the real boxing business. The thinking at the time was that traditional boxing could learn from the influencers, learn about having a social media presence, learn about marketing. That was a convenient theory.

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On Saturday, Misfits pushed right up to the thin crossover line between boxing and the glory days of wrestling. It’s not a threat to boxing, but the carnival on Saturday was not very dignified. They might not be very good at boxing but they are still judged as boxers and so is the event. Great business, not a great image for the sport.

Under new laws set to come into force later this month, North Yorkshire Council will remove councillors’ usual residential addresses from its website by default.

The changes follow the recent passing of new laws, which scrap the decades-old requirement for politicians to publish where they live.

The move comes amid mounting national concerns over councillor safety.

Previously, members had to apply on a case-by-case basis to have their addresses redacted as a “sensitive interest” if they feared intimidation.

In North Yorkshire alone, 19 councillors have already withheld their home addresses under these safety rules.

Now, the authority’s standards and governance committee is set to meet on June 19 to rubber-stamp changes to its code of conduct to reflect the law.

Under the new rules, a councillor’s address will only be made public if they explicitly request it.

Without that permission, the online register will simply state that the information is “withheld from publication”.

However, politicians must still register their addresses confidentially with the council’s monitoring officer to maintain transparency.

Barry Khan, the council’s monitoring officer, said in a report prepared ahead of the meeting: “The legal change aims to improve councillor safety, reduce risks of harassment, modernise transparency rules and ensure that personal data is handled proportionately.”

Parish and town councils in North Yorkshire are also being encouraged to review their codes of conduct regarding addresses.

Officials say the change represents a modern, proportionate approach to personal data that prioritises the safety of elected officials without compromising local democracy.

The Government is working on new energy-efficiency rules that would ban new sales of or restrict more than a third of ‘space heating systems’ – including many towel rails, gas fires and under-floor heating systems

The Government is drawing up plans that would prohibit devices such as underfloor heating and towel rails. Proposed new energy-efficiency regulations would also outlaw or place restrictions on half of all gas fires and storage heaters.

According to the Telegraph, the rules would render more than a third of ‘space heating systems’ illegal to sell. Devices would be required to feature heating controls and timing controls, meaning they could only operate for a specified number of hours and under conditions in which they function efficiently.

The EU has already implemented comparable restrictions. The change will follow a similar ban on tumble dryers.

From January 19, 2027, the sale of new air-vented, condenser, and gas-fired tumble dryers will be prohibited in Great Britain. The regulations, introduced by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, set minimum energy performance standards so stringent that only highly efficient heat pump tumble dryers will be permitted for sale as new models.

Claire Coutinho, shadow energy secretary, told The Telegraph: “Ed Miliband wants to tell you how long your towel rail can be switched on. He’s already decided how you are allowed to dry your pyjamas and now he wants to make it harder to have underfloor heating in your home.”

The new regulations would prohibit approximately half of all current underfloor heating and towel rail systems, along with between 17 per cent and 27 per cent of gas heaters, reports the Mirror. The Government clarified that the ban applies solely to new sales, leaving existing systems and heaters already in use unaffected.

Under the new regulations, towel rails will be restricted to operating for no more than six hours daily, while fires and electric storage heaters will be required to feature temperature controls and power-saving modes.

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesman said: “Our reforms will save households money by improving the energy efficiency of underfloor heating, towel rails and storage heaters.”

What counts as “powerhouse fruits and vegetables” or PFVs?

41 fruits and vegetables, ranked by disease-fighting potential

In order, their nutrient density scores were: