Definition of "mottling" [mottling]

• Present participle of mottle. (verb)
• Spots or blotches of different shades or colours (noun)

Wiktionary.org : Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License

• "The first hint that fluoride might be an effective bulwark against tooth decay came in the beginning of the twentieth century, when a dentist in Colorado noticed some of his patients had small areas of discoloration on their teeth, a condition known as mottling."
• "Over the course of more than a decade, he connected mottling to the naturally occurring presence of fluoride in drinking water."
• "He also noticed that while large quantities of fluoride produced severe mottling, smaller quantities appeared to result in stronger teeth and fewer cavities."